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: swing · sharp · temple · mate · squash · hand · rash · bulb

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. hand — in cards
  4. hand — help
  5. rash — hasty
  6. swing — to play on
  7. bulb — for light
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bulb — for light
  10. squash — to crush
  11. mate — a friend
  12. squash — the sport
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — a series
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. sharp — clever
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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