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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — final
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. vault — a safe
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. last — finally
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — side of the head

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