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 120 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — size or range
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pass — a permit
  20. dip — to sink
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — for sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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