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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. object — an aim
  3. row — to paddle
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. rule — government
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. deal — to handle
  15. row — a line
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rash — a series
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. object — to protest
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. object — a thing
  24. rule — a law

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