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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. tube — the underground
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. craft — a skill
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. race — humankind
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. craft — boats
  11. race — a contest
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rash — hasty
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. tube — a container
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. kick — in football
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. net — in sport

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