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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. content — the amount
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. content — happy
  8. prune — to trim
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. key — in music
  13. key — the most important part
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. prune — to trim
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. bank — of a river
  20. key — for a lock
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. fan — a supporter

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