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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. kid — to tease
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. game — a match
  7. mate — to breed
  8. kid — child
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. land — a country
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bear — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. present — there
  17. mate — a friend
  18. present — a gift
  19. land — ground
  20. present — the time now
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mate — a partner
  24. game — wild animals

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