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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. race — the arms race
  6. can — a tin
  7. spring — a coil
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. race — humankind
  10. can — a tin
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. chair — a leader
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. spring — of water
  18. race — a contest
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. can — to be able to
  21. spring — the season
  22. date — the fruit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. patient — a sick person

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