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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. land — a country
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. fall — the season
  7. squash — the sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bat — the animal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. land — ground
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. land — to come down
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. squash — to crush
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. safe — out of danger

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