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: bat · content · cell · jam · temple · snap · lash · calf

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bat — the animal
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. content — the amount
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. snap — to click
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cell — in biology
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. content — happy
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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