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: fine · bat · march · game · bulb · staff · temple · branch

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. branch — a division
  4. bulb — for light
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. game — wild animals
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. staff — employees
  11. march — the month
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — high quality
  18. march — the month
  19. staff — a stick
  20. march — music
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. temple — a place of worship

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