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 · bound · object · rash · cold · mine · lash · pitcher

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bound — tied together
  4. object — an aim
  5. cold — not warm
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bound — obliged
  16. object — to protest
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. bound — certain
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. rash — hasty
  23. object — a thing
  24. temple — a place of worship

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