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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a dance
  3. vault — a safe
  4. cue — for pool
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. cue — a hint
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rest — a break
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. ball — a great time
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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