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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — a measure
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. band — a music group
  16. kick — in football
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. band — a ring
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. suit — to fit
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rock — a stone

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