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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. current — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. current — electric
  10. chest — a box
  11. file — a line of people
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lie — to recline
  14. court — of law
  15. file — a tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. file — a document
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. chair — a leader
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. court — for sport
  24. current — happening now

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