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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · net · patient · rash · chip · nail · press · temple

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. press — newspapers
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. net — in sport
  8. mine — for digging
  9. net — after costs
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rash — a series
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rash — hasty
  14. chip — for betting
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. press — a publisher
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. net — for catching
  24. press — to push

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