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: kid · sharp · cue · charge · row · pound · temple · date

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. charge — a price
  4. cue — for pool
  5. date — the fruit
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cue — a signal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pound — a weight
  11. sharp — clever
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. charge — electricity
  15. row — to paddle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. row — a line
  18. charge — in control
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. kid — child
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. cue — a hint

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