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: bound · coach · deal · court · capital · cabinet · bowl · pitcher

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. capital — money
  12. deal — to handle
  13. court — of a king
  14. capital — a city
  15. bound — certain
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bowl — a dish

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