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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. land — to come down
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. branch — a division
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fine — all right
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ground — crushed
  15. wind — moving air
  16. ground — a position
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fine — high quality
  19. land — a country
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. ground — the earth
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. land — ground
  24. wind — to turn a key

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