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: land · lie · temple · bat · season · object · wax · straw

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. object — an aim
  8. land — to come down
  9. season — of the year
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. land — ground
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. object — to protest
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — to grow
  18. season — in sport
  19. object — a thing
  20. land — a country
  21. bat — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wax — for sculpting

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