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: band · pitcher · game · spring · pit · temple · plane · pop

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. game — wild animals
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. spring — the season
  10. spring — a coil
  11. plane — a tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. game — a match
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. spring — of water
  18. band — a music group
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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