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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — a match
  3. game — wild animals
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. tear — from crying
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — government
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pass — a permit
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. tear — from crying
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rule — a law
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. can — a tin
  23. tear — to rip
  24. game — a kind of play

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