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 120 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: suit · bowl · bat · court · bear · pop · degree · shower

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — the animal
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. court — for sport
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. degree — from a university
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bat — the animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. bear — the animal
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pop — music
  21. degree — an amount
  22. degree — temperature
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. bowl — to roll

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