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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  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. court — for sport
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. court — of law
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. bulb — for light
  8. court — of a king
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. toast — bread
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. spring — of water
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. spring — the season
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spring — a coil
  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