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: jam · last · bowl · lie · temple · ground · squash · date

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. last — to go on
  6. date — the fruit
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. ground — crushed
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. last — final
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — to crush
  17. ground — a position
  18. last — finally
  19. lie — to recline
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. squash — the sport
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. ground — the earth

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