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

Word bank: stick · temple · court · club · rule · dip · wave · cell

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — to sink
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cell — in biology
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. cell — a phone
  9. rule — a law
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for golf
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. club — a group
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rule — government
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. court — of a king

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