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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. prune — to trim
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. track — a song
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. press — to push
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. track — a path
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chest — of your body
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — a publisher
  21. track — to keep track
  22. chest — a box
  23. press — newspapers
  24. prune — to trim

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