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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wind — moving air
  4. current — happening now
  5. bass — low music
  6. current — of water
  7. wind — moving air
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. mark — a trace
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. plane — a tool
  12. present — there
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bass — the fish
  18. current — electric
  19. mark — a grade
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. plane — an aircraft

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