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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. court — of law
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. court — for sport
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. press — newspapers
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kid — to tease
  11. race — a contest
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — to push
  15. board — to get on
  16. race — the arms race
  17. rash — a series
  18. board — a committee
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. court — of a king
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. rash — hasty
  24. race — humankind

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