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: bore · board · suit · mine · roll · temple · cell · band

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — clothes
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — a committee
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. board — to get on
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. roll — a list
  11. band — a ring
  12. bore — to tire
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cell — in biology
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cell — a phone
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bore — to drill
  21. suit — to fit
  22. band — a music group
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — for digging

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