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: ground · temple · net · jam · branch · bulb · mug · tear

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mug — to rob
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. branch — a division
  5. tear — from crying
  6. net — after costs
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. net — for catching
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. ground — a position
  14. mug — a face
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mug — a cup
  17. net — in sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. ground — crushed
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. tear — from crying
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tear — to rip
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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