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: bowl · rush · date · nail · stock · chair · temple · fall

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. chair — a leader
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. date — the fruit
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stock — goods
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. fall — to drop
  20. stock — shares
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. date — on the calendar

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