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: court · land · bank · temple · stand · trunk · patient · mark

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. land — ground
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. mark — a grade
  9. land — a country
  10. court — for sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — of a king
  22. bank — for money
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bank — of a river

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