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: pop · patient · arm · last · drill · perch · temple · rock

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. last — final
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. drill — army training
  12. pop — music
  13. drill — the tool
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — music
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. pop — soda
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. drill — a practice
  24. perch — the fish

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