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: fall · jam · wound · object · ball · pitcher · cell · temple

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. cell — a phone
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. object — an aim
  6. wound — an injury
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — the season
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. fall — to drop
  11. object — to protest
  12. ball — a great time
  13. object — a thing
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fall — to drop
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cell — in biology
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. pitcher — a jug

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