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: band · leaves · mouse · land · wind · present · hide · temple

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. wind — moving air
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. present — a gift
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. land — to come down
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wind — moving air
  18. band — a music group
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. band — a ring

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