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: mate · tube · shower · can · temple · face · rash · staff

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — to point toward
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — a partner
  7. staff — a stick
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rash — a series
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — rain
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mate — a friend
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — the underground
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. can — a tin
  20. face — part of the head
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. mate — to breed
  24. can — a tin

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