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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. chair — a leader
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. cell — in biology
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pop — music
  24. trunk — of a car

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