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: bat · game · stock · mug · tear · temple · nail · fork

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mug — a cup
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bat — the animal
  6. game — a match
  7. tear — from crying
  8. mug — to rob
  9. game — wild animals
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. tear — to rip
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. mug — a face
  15. tear — from crying
  16. stock — goods
  17. fork — in a road
  18. stock — shares
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. temple — a place of worship

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