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: racket · spell · stem · march · patient · key · temple · board

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. key — the most important part
  3. board — to get on
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. board — a committee
  7. spell — magic
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. key — in music
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. spell — a short time
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. key — for a lock
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. march — the month
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. march — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. march — the month

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