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: bay · dip · can · court · swing · land · temple · wake

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. court — of law
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — to come down
  7. land — a country
  8. can — a tin
  9. court — for sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. can — a tin
  12. court — of a king
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. land — ground
  15. dip — to sink
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — in golf
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. swing — music
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — to be able to
  24. dip — to dunk

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