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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. season — in sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. chest — of your body
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. present — the time now
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — child
  10. present — a gift
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. present — there
  13. chest — of your body
  14. club — for dancing
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. club — a group
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chest — a box
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. club — for golf

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