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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chest — a box
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. can — a tin
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chest — of your body
  9. present — a gift
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. can — a tin
  13. branch — a division
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. chest — of your body
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — of a tree

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