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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. firm — steady
  3. march — music
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — for catching
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. net — after costs
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pop — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — a partner
  12. march — the month
  13. mate — a friend
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. land — a country
  16. mate — to breed
  17. net — in sport
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. land — to come down
  20. pop — to visit
  21. firm — decided
  22. pop — soda
  23. land — ground
  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