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 116 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: pitcher · mark · game · court · capital · plane · saw · racket

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. court — of law
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. game — wild animals
  6. court — of a king
  7. mark — a trace
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — a match
  18. capital — a city
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. mark — a grade
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. capital — money
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. racket — a loud noise

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