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

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — the tool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cap — a lid
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — all right
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. fine — high quality
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bore — to tire
  21. cap — a hat
  22. saw — the tool
  23. wound — an injury
  24. cap — of ice

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