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 · bay · tear · fork · board · pit · rash · rest

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. rash — hasty
  3. board — a committee
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tear — to rip
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pit — a hole
  14. rash — a series
  15. pit — in a race
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. rest — a break
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tear — from crying
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fork — in a road
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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