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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. chest — a box
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. swing — in golf
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. chest — of your body
  8. face — part of the head
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. swing — music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. shower — to wash
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. swing — to play on
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. shower — rain
  19. face — to confront
  20. face — to point toward
  21. craft — boats
  22. chest — of your body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. craft — a handicraft

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