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 120 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: wind · club · present · calf · lie · row · rest · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. rest — a break
  5. present — there
  6. club — for golf
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. row — a line
  9. wind — moving air
  10. rest — what's left
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. row — to paddle
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. rest — what's left
  19. present — a gift
  20. club — a group
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. club — for dancing
  23. present — the time now
  24. calf — a young animal

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