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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. court — of a king
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. degree — temperature
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. wake — a trail
  8. toast — bread
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. court — for sport
  13. degree — an amount
  14. court — of law
  15. degree — from a university
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. land — ground
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. stem — a stem cell

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