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: cue · court · leaves · straw · rule · bowl · temple · wound

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. cue — a hint
  3. rule — government
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cue — a signal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. court — for sport
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. court — of law
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rule — a law
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. rule — to rule out

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