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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. key — for a lock
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mate — a partner
  9. key — in music
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mate — to breed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — help
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — a series

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