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: bank · bound · patient · temple · fine · last · jam · root

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. bank — of a river
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. last — to go on
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fine — all right
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. root — of a word
  11. last — finally
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fine — high quality
  15. root — the cause
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — for money
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. bound — certain
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. last — final
  24. root — of a plant

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