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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. squash — to crush
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — a box
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. ball — a great time

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