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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. key — in music
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. kid — child
  11. shower — rain
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. kid — to tease
  22. key — the most important part
  23. cold — an illness
  24. key — for a lock

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