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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. mate — a friend
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. tube — a container
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. pop — music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. press — newspapers
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. press — to push
  15. staff — a stick
  16. hand — in cards
  17. staff — employees
  18. hand — help
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pop — soda
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mate — a partner

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