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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. season — in sport
  4. branch — a division
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. season — of the year
  11. current — of water
  12. foot — a measure
  13. current — happening now
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. current — electric
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. rock — a stone
  24. foot — the bottom

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