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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. face — part of the head
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. game — wild animals
  7. field — a subject
  8. game — a match
  9. dip — to sink
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. bore — to drill
  12. face — to confront
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cue — a hint
  17. field — farmland
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spell — letters
  20. field — for sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. cue — a signal
  23. cue — for pool
  24. dip — a sauce

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