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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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. staff — a stick
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. branch — a division
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. track — a path
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rock — a stone
  14. track — a song
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. track — to keep track
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. ground — a position
  21. staff — employees
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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