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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rock — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. rule — a law
  7. last — finally
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. last — to go on
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rule — government
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rock — a stone
  17. branch — a division
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. last — final
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rule — to rule out

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