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: roll · swing · shower · temple · lash · court · cap · stand

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. cap — of ice
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. roll — a cake
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. roll — a list
  9. court — for sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. cap — a lid
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. court — of law
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stand — to bear
  20. shower — rain
  21. cap — a hat
  22. swing — music
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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