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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — in control
  3. bound — certain
  4. charge — electricity
  5. staff — employees
  6. mate — to breed
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mate — a partner
  9. season — in sport
  10. mate — a friend
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. charge — a price
  15. staff — employees
  16. bound — tied together
  17. season — of the year
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bound — obliged
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. staff — a stick
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fan — to cool the air

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