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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rest — a break
  5. ball — a dance
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. toast — bread
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. march — music
  15. field — a subject
  16. march — the month
  17. wound — an injury
  18. field — for sport
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. field — farmland
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. march — the month
  24. ball — a great time

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