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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cap — a lid
  3. game — wild animals
  4. club — for dancing
  5. face — to point toward
  6. clip — a video
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. club — for golf
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. club — a group
  12. cap — of ice
  13. face — part of the head
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. clip — to cut
  20. face — to confront
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cap — a hat
  23. clip — for paper
  24. swing — to play on

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