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: temple · tear · lean · rush · content · mug · last · kick

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. last — final
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mug — a face
  6. kick — in football
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. last — finally
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. mug — to rob
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. rush — hurry
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. tear — from crying
  17. last — to go on
  18. tear — to rip
  19. lean — to bend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. lean — thin
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. tear — from crying

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