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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. pop — soda
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mug — a face
  8. clip — to cut
  9. mug — a cup
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — music
  12. clip — for paper
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pop — to visit
  18. ground — a position
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bulb — for light
  21. mug — to rob
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — a practice
  24. clip — a video

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