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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. charge — in control
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. clip — a video
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. mark — a trace
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. clip — for paper
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. clip — to cut
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. charge — electricity
  16. capital — a city
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. capital — money
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. charge — a price

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