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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. game — wild animals
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mate — to breed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — in sport
  8. charge — electricity
  9. mate — a friend
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mate — a partner
  13. charge — in control
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. sharp — clever
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — after costs
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. game — a match
  21. hand — help
  22. charge — a price
  23. hand — in cards
  24. net — for catching

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