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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. present — the time now
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a dance
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. roll — a cake
  8. present — a gift
  9. cap — of ice
  10. net — after costs
  11. roll — a list
  12. land — ground
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. land — to come down
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — a lid
  18. land — a country
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. present — there
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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