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: patient · temple · deal · object · mark · coach · rock · fine

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. deal — to handle
  3. fine — all right
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. object — to protest
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rock — a stone
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — an aim
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. object — a thing
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. deal — an agreement

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