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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a line
  6. can — to be able to
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pop — soda
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. row — to paddle
  20. pop — to visit
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. court — of law
  23. pop — music
  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