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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. court — for sport
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. court — of a king
  5. date — the fruit
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. degree — from a university
  12. deal — to handle
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. vault — a safe
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. degree — an amount
  19. court — of law
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. game — a match
  24. degree — temperature

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