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: rock · temple · bay · bowl · march · stem · wax · mug

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. march — music
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. rock — music
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a cup
  10. march — the month
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mug — a face
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. march — the month
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. stem — to come from
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wax — to grow

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