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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — to fit
  3. last — to go on
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bound — certain
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. suit — in cards
  10. sharp — clever
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. season — of the year
  13. last — finally
  14. bound — tied together
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. suit — clothes
  17. object — to protest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — in sport
  20. last — final
  21. bound — obliged
  22. object — an aim
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. object — a thing

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