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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kid — child
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. key — for a lock
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — the most important part
  16. toast — bread
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. prune — to trim
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. key — in music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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