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: root · court · game · season · bass · jam · cap · fork

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — of a king
  3. cap — a lid
  4. season — of the year
  5. court — for sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cap — a hat
  9. game — wild animals
  10. cap — of ice
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bass — low music
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. fork — in a road
  19. season — in sport
  20. root — of a word
  21. bass — the fish
  22. root — the cause
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. game — a match

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