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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bank — for money
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — for money
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. vault — a safe
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bear — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bank — of a river
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bear — the animal

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