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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. mug — a face
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stand — to bear
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a hat
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a lid
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. court — for sport
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. court — of law
  18. club — a group
  19. mug — a cup
  20. squash — to crush
  21. mug — to rob
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. squash — the sport
  24. court — of a king

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