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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. lean — to bend
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. vault — a safe
  5. file — a document
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. press — to push
  16. file — a tool
  17. file — a line of people
  18. cue — a hint
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cue — for pool
  22. press — newspapers
  23. lean — thin
  24. racket — for tennis

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