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: temple · chip · shower · bound · clip · season · date · craft

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. bound — tied together
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. craft — a skill
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. shower — to wash
  8. chip — to eat
  9. clip — to cut
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. clip — a video
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. date — the fruit
  14. clip — for paper
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. shower — rain
  19. craft — boats
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. chip — for betting
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. season — to add flavour

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