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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. scale — size or range
  7. cell — in biology
  8. stand — to bear
  9. game — wild animals
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — a match
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. cell — a phone
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. stand — on your feet

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