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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. pit — a hole
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mark — a grade
  9. staff — employees
  10. row — a line
  11. mark — a trace
  12. staff — a stick
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pit — in a race
  16. staff — employees
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. branch — a division
  24. row — to paddle

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