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: content · temple · file · cabinet · band · stock · drill · mate

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mate — a partner
  3. file — a tool
  4. stock — shares
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. content — the amount
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. drill — the tool
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. drill — army training
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mate — a friend
  16. stock — goods
  17. band — a ring
  18. file — a line of people
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. file — a document
  23. content — happy
  24. cabinet — ministers

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