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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stem — to come from
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cold — an illness
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rock — music

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