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 120 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: calf · hide · temple · tear · season · ruler · wound · row

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. season — of the year
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wound — an injury
  8. row — a line
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — to rip
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. row — to paddle
  24. season — to add flavour

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