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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. squash — the sport
  3. drill — a practice
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — to crush
  8. drill — army training
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. face — to point toward
  12. face — part of the head
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pop — to visit
  15. kid — to tease
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pop — music
  19. drill — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. temple — a place of worship

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