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: bear · tear · temple · wake · rock · game · suit · wind

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tear — to rip
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. game — wild animals
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bear — the animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. game — a match
  19. tear — from crying
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rock — a stone
  22. wind — moving air
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bear — to put up with

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