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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — the time now
  4. plane — a tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. capital — money
  8. chest — of your body
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. roll — a list
  12. present — there
  13. chest — a box
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chest — of your body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. squash — to crush
  21. capital — a city
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. present — a gift
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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