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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  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. net — in sport
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of law
  7. degree — temperature
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. present — a gift
  11. net — after costs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. present — there
  15. degree — from a university
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. court — for sport
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. present — the time now
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. degree — an amount
  23. jam — a tight spot
  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