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: march · temple · cold · chip · sharp · mine · ball · bank

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. sharp — clever
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. march — music
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a dance
  10. march — the month
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — not warm
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bank — of a river
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. cold — an illness
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — for digging
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — exactly

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