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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. last — finally
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kid — to tease
  5. charge — in control
  6. last — to go on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. file — a line of people
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. last — final
  11. charge — a price
  12. file — a tool
  13. kid — child
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. charge — electricity
  16. file — a document
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. leaves — to go away

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