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: pop · temple · pit · fall · net · stick · rest · wound

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pop — soda
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pop — music
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — the season
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. rest — a break
  16. pit — in a race
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. net — for catching
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. pop — to visit
  22. fall — to drop
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wound — an injury

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