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 · march · date · cue · bore · last · row · ball

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bore — to tire
  5. march — the month
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. last — finally
  9. last — to go on
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. last — final
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. ball — a dance
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cue — for pool
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. march — music
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a great time
  24. date — the fruit

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