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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. drill — a practice
  7. band — a music group
  8. roll — a cake
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. drill — army training
  12. roll — a list
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. fall — the season
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. band — a ring
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. drill — the tool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. kick — in football
  24. band — a rubber band

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