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: pitcher · temple · net · press · wound · patient · cue · mine

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — for digging
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. net — after costs
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. press — newspapers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wound — an injury
  16. press — a publisher
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. press — to push
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. wound — an injury
  22. net — for catching
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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