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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. can — a tin
  3. plane — a tool
  4. game — wild animals
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cold — an illness
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. game — a match
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spring — of water
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bear — the animal
  17. can — a tin
  18. cold — not warm
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. spring — the season
  23. can — to be able to
  24. temple — a place of worship

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