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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bass — low music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mine — for digging
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. club — a group
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stock — goods
  12. land — ground
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — a series
  16. bass — the fish
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. land — to come down
  19. club — for golf
  20. face — to confront
  21. stock — shares
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. land — a country
  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