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: wax · bank · tube · march · club · temple · last · date

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bank — for money
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — final
  5. club — for golf
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. march — the month
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. march — music
  10. march — the month
  11. club — for dancing
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. club — a group
  15. bank — for money
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wax — to grow
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. date — the fruit
  21. tube — a container
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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