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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cap — a hat
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. cap — of ice
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bat — the animal
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. vault — a safe
  13. cap — a lid
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cell — a phone
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. ball — a dance
  19. cell — in biology
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. foot — a measure

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