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 was this ________________ built?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — of a king
  5. can — a tin
  6. bark — to shout
  7. court — of law
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. can — a tin
  10. court — for sport
  11. row — to paddle
  12. chip — for betting
  13. key — for a lock
  14. clip — a video
  15. key — in music
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. can — to be able to
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chip — to eat
  24. row — a line

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