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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. clip — a video
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. rash — hasty
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — shares
  8. rash — a series
  9. lie — to recline
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. clip — for paper
  13. march — the month
  14. pop — music
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. march — the month
  19. perch — the fish
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. stock — goods
  22. march — music
  23. clip — to cut
  24. lie — an untruth

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