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: wax · temple · kid · swing · squash · ground · foot · date

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. kid — child
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. swing — music
  8. date — the fruit
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. ground — crushed
  16. foot — a measure
  17. swing — to play on
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the sport
  21. swing — in golf
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  24. kid — to tease

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