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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. band — a ring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. band — a music group
  12. net — after costs
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pass — a permit
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pass — to succeed

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