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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. chest — of your body
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rash — a series
  5. present — the time now
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rash — hasty
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. foot — a measure
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. present — a gift
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. chest — of your body
  18. present — there
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chest — a box
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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