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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kid — to tease
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. game — wild animals
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. kid — child
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — the animal
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stand — to bear
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. game — a match
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. key — the most important part

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