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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rest — a break
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. sharp — clever
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to click
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — for money
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. can — a tin
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mate — a friend

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