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: patient · club · foot · temple · capital · rest · firm · season

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. firm — a company
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. capital — money
  5. firm — decided
  6. season — of the year
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for golf
  9. rest — a break
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. club — a group
  15. rest — what's left
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. foot — a measure
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. firm — steady
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. capital — a city
  22. season — in sport
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rest — what's left

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