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: pass · tube · fan · dip · can · game · season · court

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. game — a match
  4. court — of a king
  5. pass — a permit
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. tube — a container
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. season — in sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. court — of law
  17. dip — to sink
  18. tube — the underground
  19. can — a tin
  20. court — for sport
  21. can — to be able to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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