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: mine · pop · date · temple · pitch · kick · dip · season

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pop — to visit
  6. kick — in football
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — for digging
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. dip — to sink
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pop — soda
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. season — in sport
  15. pop — music
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitch — completely
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. dip — to dunk

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