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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bank — of a river
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. board — to get on
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bank — for money
  10. foot — a measure
  11. root — the cause
  12. mark — a grade
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. board — a committee
  15. file — a tool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. root — of a plant
  18. file — a document
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. root — of a word
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bank — for money

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