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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. track — to keep track
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spring — of water
  7. bore — to tire
  8. track — a path
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. staff — employees
  15. track — a song
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — to drill
  22. staff — employees
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. leaves — lets stay

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