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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cue — a signal
  7. race — humankind
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bark — to shout
  11. craft — boats
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. race — the arms race
  16. race — a contest
  17. cue — for pool
  18. hand — help
  19. march — the month
  20. hand — in cards
  21. march — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a handicraft

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