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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mate — a friend
  3. net — for catching
  4. root — of a word
  5. mate — a partner
  6. net — after costs
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. root — the cause
  10. bank — for money
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bulb — for light
  15. net — in sport
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river

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