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: fork · cue · temple · mug · hand · cabinet · track · bat

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. cue — for pool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fork — in a road
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. mug — a face
  12. track — a path
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. track — a song
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mug — to rob

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