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 · sharp · kid · last · pass · band · spring · trunk

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spring — the season
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. sharp — clever
  7. last — final
  8. kid — child
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. spring — a coil
  16. last — finally
  17. kid — to tease
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pass — a permit
  20. band — a music group
  21. spring — of water
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  24. last — to go on

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