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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. track — to keep track
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. shower — to wash
  9. shower — rain
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. rock — a stone
  19. track — a song
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. plane — a tool

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