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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. current — electric
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. hand — help
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. tear — to rip
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — of water
  13. land — ground
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. tear — from crying
  17. lie — to recline
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. hand — in cards
  21. stand — to bear
  22. land — a country
  23. land — to come down
  24. tear — from crying

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