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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. march — the month
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. march — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wax — to grow
  9. pop — music
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. pop — soda
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pop — to visit
  16. plane — a tool
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. march — the month
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. perch — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wax — in the ear

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