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: cold · bark · temple · object · cue · ruler · toast · content

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cue — a signal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. toast — bread
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. content — happy
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. cold — an illness
  12. object — an aim
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. cold — not warm
  16. content — the amount
  17. cue — a hint
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. object — to protest
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. object — a thing
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ruler — for measuring

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