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 · tube · drill · kid · mark · foot · trunk · press

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. tube — the underground
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. press — newspapers
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. kid — child
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. press — a publisher
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. tube — a container
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. drill — army training
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. mark — a trace
  19. drill — the tool
  20. mark — a grade
  21. drill — a practice
  22. press — to push
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. trunk — of a tree

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