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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. board — a committee
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. season — in sport
  5. key — in music
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. game — a match
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — the most important part
  12. game — wild animals
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. key — for a lock
  17. board — to get on
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bat — the animal
  20. season — of the year
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. roll — a list
  23. bulb — for light
  24. roll — a cake

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