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: court · temple · vault · press · kick · charge · fine · root

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — in football
  4. root — of a word
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. charge — a price
  7. court — of a king
  8. root — of a plant
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fine — high quality
  13. charge — electricity
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. vault — a safe
  18. charge — in control
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. root — the cause
  21. press — newspapers
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of law
  24. press — to push

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