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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. court — of a king
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fall — to drop
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. fall — the season
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. degree — temperature
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. face — to confront
  11. court — of law
  12. fall — to drop
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mate — a friend
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mate — to breed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. degree — an amount
  19. degree — from a university
  20. face — part of the head
  21. court — for sport
  22. bark — to shout
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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