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: temple · kid · mouse · stock · charge · snap · capital · patient

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. charge — in control
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. stock — goods
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stock — shares
  14. snap — to click
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. capital — a city
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. charge — a price
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. capital — money
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. mouse — the animal

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