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: file · march · temple · pitch · object · spell · lie · mouse

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. march — the month
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. file — a document
  7. spell — a short time
  8. pitch — completely
  9. object — an aim
  10. file — a line of people
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. spell — letters
  13. march — the month
  14. object — to protest
  15. spell — magic
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. file — a tool
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. march — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. object — a thing

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