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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. track — a path
  5. roll — a list
  6. craft — a skill
  7. craft — boats
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. track — a song
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. track — to keep track
  17. net — in sport
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. net — for catching
  22. clip — a video
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. net — after costs

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