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: temple · patient · leaves · nail · court · bat · fall · wake

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. court — of a king
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. bat — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. court — of law
  14. fall — the season
  15. wake — a trail
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. court — for sport

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