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 116 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: can · court · tube · bowl · dip · wave · pitcher · march

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. tube — a container
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. court — of law
  8. dip — to sink
  9. march — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. court — of a king
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. march — the month
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. can — a tin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. tube — the underground

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