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: mug · march · patient · capital · temple · arm · rule · hide

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. capital — a city
  5. march — the month
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rule — a law
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. march — the month
  12. mug — a face
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rule — government
  19. march — music
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — money
  22. mug — to rob
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. hide — animal skin

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