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 · perch · patient · pound · deal · toast · row · board

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. board — to get on
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. row — a line
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. perch — the fish
  21. deal — to handle
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. board — a committee
  24. deal — a big deal

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