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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. court — of law
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. snap — to click
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — for sport
  13. cell — in biology
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cap — a hat
  20. cap — a lid
  21. foot — a measure
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cap — of ice
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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