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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. wound — an injury
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. file — a line of people
  5. board — to get on
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pop — to visit
  8. squash — to crush
  9. spell — magic
  10. pass — a permit
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. wound — an injury
  13. file — a tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. spell — letters
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. file — a document
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. board — a committee
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. board — a flat piece

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