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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hand — help
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. court — of a king
  12. mug — to rob
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. fine — all right
  18. mug — a face
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a cup
  21. fine — high quality
  22. hand — in cards
  23. court — for sport
  24. hand — part of the body

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