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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. key — in music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bound — certain
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bound — tied together
  12. spring — the season
  13. row — to paddle
  14. content — happy
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fall — the season
  17. content — the amount
  18. spring — of water
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — the most important part
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. row — a line

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