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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. file — a document
  3. firm — steady
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rock — a stone
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — the time now
  14. file — a line of people
  15. present — there
  16. pitch — completely
  17. last — finally
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. last — final
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. file — a tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. present — a gift

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