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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. ground — a position
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. roll — a list
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. present — the time now
  7. current — of water
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ground — crushed
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. present — a gift
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. present — there
  18. cap — of ice
  19. can — to be able to
  20. roll — a cake
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. cap — a hat
  24. patient — a sick person

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