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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ground — crushed
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — shares
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rest — a break
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. ground — a position
  15. tear — from crying
  16. club — for golf
  17. rest — what's left
  18. club — a group
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. stock — goods
  22. rest — what's left
  23. tear — to rip
  24. cap — a lid

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