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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bank — of a river
  3. present — a gift
  4. net — for catching
  5. present — there
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — after costs
  17. chip — for betting
  18. tube — the underground
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bank — for money
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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