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: bat · saw · temple · spring · bank · charge · swing · content

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. charge — in control
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bank — for money
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spring — the season
  12. charge — electricity
  13. swing — in golf
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. saw — the tool
  16. swing — to play on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — music
  19. content — happy
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — the animal
  24. temple — side of the head

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