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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. club — a group
  4. mate — to breed
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mate — a partner
  7. club — for golf
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. last — finally
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. mate — a friend
  16. shower — rain
  17. pound — a weight
  18. board — a committee
  19. shower — to wash
  20. last — final
  21. board — to get on
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. club — for dancing

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