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: roll · deal · temple · fall · cold · board · mine · racket

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fall — to drop
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. roll — a cake
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. board — to get on
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. cold — an illness
  13. board — a committee
  14. cold — not warm
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. fall — to drop
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fall — the season
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cold — the Cold War

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