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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. court — of law
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. root — of a word
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. root — the cause
  11. date — the fruit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. court — for sport
  16. tear — from crying
  17. scale — size or range
  18. root — of a plant
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. court — of a king
  22. scale — in music
  23. tear — to rip
  24. ruler — a monarch

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