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: content · ball · lean · court · swing · pitcher · bowl · pass

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. swing — music
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. lean — to bend
  11. pass — a permit
  12. court — of law
  13. content — the amount
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ball — a great time
  16. lean — thin
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. content — happy
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. swing — in golf

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