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: kid · patient · temple · stem · pass · bound · coach · chip

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. kid — child
  3. bound — certain
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. stem — to come from
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — to tease
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bound — obliged
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. chip — to eat
  23. chip — for betting
  24. pass — a permit

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