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: stand · temple · craft · cold · tube · mate · scale · drill

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. cold — an illness
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. drill — a practice
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cold — not warm
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. tube — the underground
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. tube — a container
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — boats
  19. scale — size or range
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stand — to bear
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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