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: kid · rush · court · chip · toast · bowl · game · pass

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  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. bowl — a dish
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. game — a match
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. court — of law
  7. game — wild animals
  8. court — for sport
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. rush — hurry
  12. kid — to tease
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. court — of a king
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. chip — to eat
  18. toast — bread
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. kid — child
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  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