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 a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bear — the animal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. court — of law
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. bound — certain
  15. court — for sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. can — a tin
  20. bound — obliged
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bound — tied together
  23. can — a tin
  24. net — for catching

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