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: fine · march · temple · tube · chair · ground · calf · stand

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. fine — all right
  3. chair — a leader
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — the month
  11. march — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. tube — a container
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. ground — the earth
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — a position
  24. tube — the underground

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