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: swing · ball · patient · cell · rock · bark · stock · temple

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cell — a phone
  5. rock — music
  6. swing — in golf
  7. bark — to shout
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. stock — goods
  10. swing — to play on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. ball — a great time
  15. stock — shares
  16. rock — a stone
  17. swing — music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ball — a dance
  21. cell — in biology
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. temple — a place of worship

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