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: cue · court · coach · ball · file · key · spring · rest

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. file — a line of people
  3. court — of law
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spring — the season
  8. court — for sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. file — a tool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — of water
  15. court — of a king
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. rest — what's left
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spring — a coil
  21. file — a document
  22. rest — a break
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cue — a signal

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