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: temple · pound · bat · tube · wax · mark · season · arm

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. season — in sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. tube — the underground
  5. tube — a container
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bat — the animal
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. season — of the year
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. mark — a grade

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