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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. drill — a practice
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. drill — army training
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — a weight
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. swing — in golf
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. swing — music
  21. content — happy
  22. content — the amount
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. drill — the tool

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