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: can · saw · mate · root · patient · cell · temple · clip

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cell — a phone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. root — the cause
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mate — a partner
  13. cell — in biology
  14. can — a tin
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — of a plant
  17. root — of a word
  18. mate — a friend
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mate — to breed
  21. can — a tin
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. clip — for paper

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