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: spell · court · toast · temple · clip · fine · season · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. tube — the underground
  3. spell — letters
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. fine — high quality
  7. clip — to cut
  8. spell — magic
  9. season — in sport
  10. clip — for paper
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. court — for sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. fine — all right
  18. court — of law
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. clip — a video
  22. court — of a king
  23. spell — a short time
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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