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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bank — for money
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. ball — a great time
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bank — of a river
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. vault — a safe
  24. ball — a dance

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