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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. can — a tin
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. game — a match
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. pass — a permit
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. race — a contest
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. game — wild animals
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. toast — bread
  24. can — to be able to

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