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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. wind — moving air
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. season — in sport
  12. staff — employees
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. season — of the year
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bark — to shout
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wind — moving air
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — to turn a key

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