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: roll · fine · tear · march · nail · hand · squash · temple

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. fine — high quality
  3. squash — to crush
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. march — the month
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. march — the month
  13. tear — from crying
  14. roll — a cake
  15. march — music
  16. fine — all right
  17. roll — a list
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hand — help
  22. tear — to rip
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hand — in cards

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