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 · temple · mug · rock · bowl · shower · date · wake

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cell — a phone
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. shower — to wash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. rock — music
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. mug — to rob
  17. cell — in biology
  18. rock — a stone
  19. shower — rain
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. date — the fruit
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wake — a trail

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