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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · perch · bowl · board · march · shower · court · temple

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. march — the month
  8. court — of a king
  9. march — music
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. board — a committee
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. board — to get on
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. perch — the fish
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. court — of law
  22. shower — rain
  23. court — for sport
  24. nail — on a finger

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