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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. fine — all right
  4. field — for sport
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — music
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. sharp — clever
  13. march — the month
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — farmland
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. march — the month

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