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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · kid · snap · temple · chest · cell

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kid — child
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cell — in biology
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. chest — of your body
  12. cell — a phone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. snap — to click
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. kid — to tease
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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