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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — a country
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pound — a weight
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. branch — a division
  14. land — to come down
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fork — in a road
  19. land — ground
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. shower — rain
  24. temple — side of the head

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