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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mark — a grade
  7. net — after costs
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. current — of water
  13. mark — a trace
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. net — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. band — a ring
  20. current — happening now
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. net — for catching
  23. chest — a box
  24. current — electric

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