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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. branch — a division
  5. rash — hasty
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rash — a series
  8. bound — certain
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. land — a country
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. prune — to trim
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bound — tied together
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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