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: temple · track · pass · jam · capital · stick · court · rest

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. track — a song
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. pass — a permit
  6. capital — a city
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of law
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. track — a path
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — a break
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. track — to keep track
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. capital — money

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