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: temple · leaves · fan · tube · chest · lie · board · spring

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. lie — to recline
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. spring — the season
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. spring — of water
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. board — a committee
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. tube — a container
  20. chest — a box
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tube — the underground

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