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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bank — for money
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. game — a match
  7. spell — letters
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. game — wild animals
  10. drill — the tool
  11. press — to push
  12. press — a publisher
  13. spell — a short time
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bank — of a river
  18. prune — to trim
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — a practice
  21. bank — for money
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. spell — magic
  24. press — newspapers

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