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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. firm — steady
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. land — ground
  10. land — a country
  11. season — in sport
  12. last — finally
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. firm — a company
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. land — to come down
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. season — of the year
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. lie — to recline
  24. sharp — clever

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