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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. squash — the sport
  8. vault — a safe
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. field — farmland
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. field — for sport
  22. squash — to crush
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bowl — a dish

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