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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. last — final
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. game — a match
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. vault — a safe
  14. game — wild animals
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mate — a partner
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. rush — hurry
  19. last — finally
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. last — to go on
  22. mate — a friend
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. temple — a place of worship

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