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: temple · rock · season · wound · chair · bear · mug · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mug — a face
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. season — in sport
  7. rock — music
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bear — the animal
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. season — of the year
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rock — a stone
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mug — to rob
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rest — what's left

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