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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. spring — of water
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. track — to keep track
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. spring — the season
  12. chair — a leader
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. roll — a list
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. track — a song
  20. spring — a coil
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — a path
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. roll — a cake

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