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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bass — low music
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bass — the fish
  5. press — a publisher
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. key — in music
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. row — a line
  16. press — to push
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bat — the animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. row — to paddle

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