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

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — a company
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. current — electric
  8. object — a thing
  9. firm — steady
  10. object — to protest
  11. chest — of your body
  12. kick — in football
  13. current — happening now
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — an aim
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chest — a box
  19. content — happy
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. chest — of your body
  22. current — of water
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rush — a thrill

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