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: scale · hand · temple · chest · field · arm · patient · season

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — a subject
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. field — farmland
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. scale — size or range
  14. season — in sport
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. field — for sport
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. season — of the year
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hand — help
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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