ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: sharp · shower · coach · bowl · pop · leaves · pit · court

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pit — in a race
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. pop — soda
  5. shower — rain
  6. court — of law
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. court — for sport
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. shower — to wash
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pit — a hole
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — clever
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. court — of a king
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com