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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cue — a hint
  3. field — farmland
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — boats
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. cue — for pool
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. field — for sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — clever
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hand — help
  23. field — a subject
  24. hand — in cards

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