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: cell · hide · squash · temple · toast · tube · wound · bay

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cell — a phone
  3. toast — bread
  4. squash — to crush
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cell — in biology
  15. tube — a container
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. squash — the sport
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. wound — an injury

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