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: rule · wake · shower · temple · wax · dip · sharp · trunk

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rule — a law
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. shower — rain
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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