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: wind · lie · temple · row · tear · patient · wake · track

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wind — moving air
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tear — from crying
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — to recline
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. wind — moving air
  10. track — a path
  11. row — to paddle
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. tear — to rip
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. row — a line
  24. lie — an untruth

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