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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. current — happening now
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mug — a face
  8. mug — to rob
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. current — of water
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. cell — a phone
  14. current — electric
  15. kid — child
  16. roll — a list
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. cell — in biology
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kid — to tease
  24. nail — for a hammer

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