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

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — finally
  4. spring — of water
  5. capital — money
  6. rush — hurry
  7. last — final
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. march — the month
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. spring — the season
  16. march — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. march — the month
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. capital — a city
  24. last — to go on

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