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: season · lean · dip · temple · present · pit · spring · chair

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — of the year
  3. present — there
  4. spring — the season
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. chair — a leader
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. lean — to bend
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. spring — of water
  22. spring — a coil
  23. season — in sport
  24. lean — thin

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