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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mug — a face
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. track — a path
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — obliged
  9. track — to keep track
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. mug — to rob
  12. hand — help
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. mug — a cup
  21. track — a song
  22. hand — in cards
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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