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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. row — a line
  3. pop — soda
  4. rock — music
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. rule — a law
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. season — in sport
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rule — government
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. bat — the animal
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. pop — music
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. rash — a series
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rash — on the skin

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