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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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. bound — certain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bound — tied together
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. toast — bread
  8. bound — obliged
  9. band — a ring
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stock — goods
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. band — a music group
  20. stock — shares
  21. fork — in a road
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. toast — the most admired

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