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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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. firm — a company
  4. hand — in cards
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. land — to come down
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. field — for sport
  10. hand — help
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. dip — to sink
  13. field — a subject
  14. field — farmland
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. branch — a division
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. firm — steady
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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