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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. fine — high quality
  3. stem — to come from
  4. object — a thing
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. object — an aim
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. wake — a trail
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. object — to protest
  23. fine — all right
  24. stem — a stem cell

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