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 120 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: pass · bank · fan · sharp · mate · mine · trunk · temple

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — a partner
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bank — of a river
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bank — for money
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bank — for money

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