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 · mouse · pit · rest · scale · bay · temple · perch

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. court — for sport
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pit — a hole
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. court — of a king
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rest — a break
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. scale — in music
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. court — of law
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. mouse — the animal

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