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: date · fork · patient · temple · shower · row · mark · lash

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. shower — to wash
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. row — a line
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. date — the fruit
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. shower — rain
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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