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: bat · suit · snap · temple · jam · band · hand · ball

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. band — a music group
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. band — a ring
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. bat — the animal
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. hand — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — help
  22. snap — to click
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. ball — a dance

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