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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. court — of law
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. court — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cue — a signal
  12. game — a match
  13. court — of a king
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. game — wild animals
  18. jam — in traffic

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