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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. capital — money
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. net — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bear — the animal
  12. capital — a city
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. season — in sport

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