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: wake · temple · pitch · mug · lie · tube · last · kick

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. kick — in football
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. mug — to rob
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. last — final
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. lie — to recline
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. mug — a face
  20. tube — a container
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — in a tire
  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