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 120 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: temple · court · branch · mug · land · vault · rest · racket

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. land — ground
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. land — a country
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. rest — what's left
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. rest — a break
  10. branch — a division
  11. land — to come down
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. court — of a king
  14. mug — a cup
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. vault — a safe
  20. mug — a face
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. mug — to rob
  24. rest — what's left

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