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: calf · sharp · wake · clip · snap · temple · perch · spell

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. perch — the fish
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. spell — magic
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. clip — to cut
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. spell — letters
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wake — a trail
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. clip — a video
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. snap — to click
  22. sharp — clever
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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