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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mark — a grade
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bark — to shout
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. tear — from crying
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tear — to rip
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. dip — to dunk

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