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 120 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — for golf
  6. kick — in football
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. root — of a word
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. club — a group
  24. kick — with a leg

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