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: temple · snap · patient · game · coach · press · chest · tube

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tube — the underground
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. chest — a box
  7. game — wild animals
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. press — a publisher
  10. chest — of your body
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. press — to push
  22. game — a match
  23. tube — a container
  24. patient — a sick person

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