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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. key — the most important part
  5. staff — a stick
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. key — in music
  9. board — to get on
  10. field — for sport
  11. board — a committee
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. field — farmland
  14. land — to come down
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. staff — employees
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. key — for a lock
  20. land — a country
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. land — ground
  24. field — a subject

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