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 120 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: patient · saw · cold · temple · wave · kid · craft · pit

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a skill
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. craft — boats
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. kid — child
  11. pit — in a race
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. cold — not warm
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. pit — a hole
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. cold — an illness
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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