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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mine — for digging
  3. spell — magic
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. swing — music
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spell — a short time
  11. march — music
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. swing — in golf
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. march — the month
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. swing — to play on
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. ruler — a monarch

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