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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. snap — to click
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rush — hurry
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rash — a series
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. cell — a phone
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. cell — in biology

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