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

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. key — in music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. net — in sport
  8. tear — to rip
  9. net — for catching
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. key — for a lock
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — the most important part
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. bat — the animal
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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