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 120 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. track — a song
  3. lean — thin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. land — to come down
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. track — a path
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bat — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. track — to keep track
  19. wound — an injury
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lean — to rest against

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