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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — a group
  5. bulb — for light
  6. firm — a company
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. firm — decided
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — steady
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. club — for golf
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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