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 · lash · land · chest · fan · temple · branch · band

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. branch — a division
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. band — a music group
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. land — ground
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. land — to come down
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. band — a ring
  24. land — a country

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