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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. march — the month
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. degree — temperature
  9. court — of a king
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a line
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. court — of law
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. march — music
  20. degree — an amount
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. court — for sport
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mine — for digging

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