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: key · ground · temple · mouse · chest · rush · drill · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. key — the most important part
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. rush — hurry
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. ground — a position
  15. drill — army training
  16. chest — a box
  17. drill — the tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ground — the earth
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. chest — of your body
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. temple — a place of worship

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