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: leaves · cold · saw · key · jam · temple · pop · court

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. pop — to visit
  4. saw — the tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. saw — the tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cold — not warm
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. pop — soda
  13. key — for a lock
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. cold — an illness
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — in music
  18. pop — music
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. court — for sport
  21. key — the most important part
  22. court — of law
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cold — the Cold War

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