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: patient · temple · plane · wound · arm · wind · stock · foot

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. wind — moving air
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — a tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wound — an injury
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stock — goods
  15. wound — an injury
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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