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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ball — a great time
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. court — of law
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. court — for sport
  12. ground — the earth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bass — the fish
  15. court — of a king
  16. ground — a position
  17. ball — a dance
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. bass — low music
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. ground — crushed

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