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 124 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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cold — an illness
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cold — not warm
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. spell — letters
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cue — for pool
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. fork — in a road
  22. stem — to come from
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — magic

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