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 · shower · object · mark · temple · pitcher · fork · wind

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wind — moving air
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. roll — a list
  9. shower — rain
  10. object — a thing
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. roll — a cake
  14. mark — a trace
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. mark — a grade
  22. wind — moving air
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. object — to protest

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