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: capital · mark · court · pop · cue · press · nail · season

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. cue — a signal
  6. court — for sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. capital — a city
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. capital — money
  12. mark — a grade
  13. season — in sport
  14. court — of law
  15. cue — a hint
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. court — of a king
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — soda
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — to push
  22. pop — music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cue — for pool

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