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: field · shower · temple · ball · rock · drill · lean · land

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rock — music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. land — a country
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a great time
  11. lean — thin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. shower — rain
  14. drill — the tool
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. drill — army training
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. field — farmland
  19. land — ground
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lean — to bend
  22. field — a subject
  23. ball — a dance
  24. field — for sport

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