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: present · lean · current · temple · lie · mark · season · rash

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. present — a gift
  3. lie — to recline
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lean — to bend
  8. season — of the year
  9. rash — a series
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mark — a trace
  14. current — of water
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. current — happening now
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — there
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mark — a grade
  22. current — electric
  23. lean — thin
  24. present — the time now

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