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 · toast · stem · stock · pound · pit · temple · land

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pit — in a race
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — a hole
  5. stem — to come from
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. land — to come down
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pound — a weight
  17. land — a country
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — ground
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — goods
  23. toast — bread
  24. pound — for dogs

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