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 · temple · march · mark · ball · spell · rest · wax

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. march — the month
  3. march — the month
  4. spell — magic
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. mark — a trace
  8. roll — a list
  9. spell — letters
  10. rest — a break
  11. spell — a short time
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. wax — to grow
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mark — a grade
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — music
  24. roll — on a roll

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