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 120 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 · march · kick · foot · stock · bat · spring · wake

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. spring — a coil
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. spring — the season
  7. wake — a trail
  8. kick — in football
  9. spring — of water
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. bat — the animal
  12. stock — shares
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. march — music
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. march — the month
  20. stock — goods
  21. march — the month
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. temple — a place of worship

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