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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. firm — decided
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. ground — a position
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. wax — to grow
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fork — in a road
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. fall — the season
  18. ground — crushed
  19. firm — steady
  20. ball — a great time
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. firm — a company
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ground — the earth

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