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: press · row · drill · patient · capital · wake · temple · pit

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. drill — a practice
  7. capital — money
  8. press — newspapers
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. capital — a city
  13. drill — army training
  14. row — a line
  15. pit — a hole
  16. drill — the tool
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. pit — in a race
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. wake — a trail
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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