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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. season — in sport
  10. ground — the earth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ground — a position
  14. bound — obliged
  15. branch — a division
  16. season — of the year
  17. tube — a container
  18. bound — certain
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bound — tied together
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. branch — of a bank

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