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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. root — the cause
  4. face — to point toward
  5. net — in sport
  6. ball — a dance
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. net — after costs
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — part of the head
  14. root — of a word
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — for catching
  19. ball — a great time
  20. root — of a plant
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. cell — in biology
  24. temple — side of the head

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