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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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 — for sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. game — a match
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. court — of a king
  7. game — wild animals
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bulb — for light
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — hurry
  13. plane — a tool
  14. fine — all right
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. fine — high quality
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. court — of law
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bulb — for light

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