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: temple · bear · game · fork · bat · squash · plane · dip

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. dip — to sink
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. squash — to crush
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. squash — the sport
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. plane — a tool
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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