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: wake · ball · temple · bat · suit · stand · cap · shower

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bat — the animal
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cap — of ice
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. suit — clothes
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. shower — rain
  17. cap — a lid
  18. wake — a trail
  19. stand — to bear
  20. suit — to fit
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. suit — in cards

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