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: swing · hide · perch · season · bowl · degree · court · shower

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. swing — in golf
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. shower — to wash
  6. season — in sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. degree — temperature
  9. season — of the year
  10. swing — music
  11. shower — rain
  12. court — of a king
  13. degree — an amount
  14. swing — to play on
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. court — of law
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. court — for sport
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. degree — from a university
  24. season — to add flavour

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