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: rush · temple · mine · cap · patient · bulb · firm · stick

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rush — hurry
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. mine — for digging
  8. cap — a hat
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. firm — steady
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. firm — decided
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. firm — a company
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. mine — an explosive

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