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: bound · temple · rash · court · object · club · face · racket

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rash — a series
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — part of the head
  5. court — for sport
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. object — an aim
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. face — to point toward
  13. object — to protest
  14. court — of a king
  15. rash — hasty
  16. club — a group
  17. object — a thing
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bound — tied together
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. court — of law
  24. racket — for tennis

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