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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. date — the fruit
  6. game — wild animals
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. lie — to recline
  10. spell — a short time
  11. season — in sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. spell — magic
  14. scale — in music
  15. game — a match
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. scale — size or range
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. spell — letters

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