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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. stock — shares
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. row — a line
  16. band — a ring
  17. stock — goods
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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