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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fall — the season
  12. scale — size or range
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chest — of your body
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chest — a box

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