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: object · temple · patient · roll · trunk · pitcher · stem · mine

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. object — to protest
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. object — a thing
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. stem — to come from
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. roll — a cake
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. roll — a list
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. temple — a place of worship

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