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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — in football
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. spring — of water
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. lean — thin
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. foot — a measure
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. lean — to bend
  18. spring — the season
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — a coil
  24. temple — side of the head

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