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: court · shower · racket · press · squash · key · capital · date

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. shower — to wash
  4. press — newspapers
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. court — for sport
  7. key — for a lock
  8. press — a publisher
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. squash — to crush
  11. capital — a city
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. date — the fruit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. capital — money
  17. court — of a king
  18. key — the most important part
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. press — to push
  22. key — in music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. court — of law

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