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: deal · vault · squash · net · pop · sharp · court · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. net — in sport
  3. squash — the sport
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pop — soda
  13. net — after costs
  14. sharp — clever
  15. pop — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. pop — to visit
  18. court — of law
  19. net — for catching
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — a big deal

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