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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. chip — to eat
  4. court — for sport
  5. chip — for betting
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. court — of a king
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. season — of the year
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. season — in sport
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. court — of law
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. perch — the fish

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