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 · mate · plane · branch · temple · last · foot · cap

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. mate — a friend
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mate — to breed
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. branch — a division
  11. plane — a tool
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cold — not warm
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. last — final
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — a partner
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cap — of ice
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cap — a hat
  24. last — to go on

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