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: temple · roll · bound · mouse · key · court · tear · foot

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. court — of law
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. key — in music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — obliged
  9. key — the most important part
  10. court — for sport
  11. tear — to rip
  12. roll — a list
  13. key — for a lock
  14. tear — from crying
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bound — certain
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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