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: nail · wake · temple · game · patient · lash · bark · degree

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. game — wild animals
  8. bark — to shout
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. degree — temperature
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. wake — a trail
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. degree — an amount

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