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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. can — to be able to
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — in football
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mine — for digging
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — goods
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — a trail
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. nail — for a hammer

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