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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — a country
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pop — music
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. rest — a break
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. land — ground
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. fall — the season
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. land — to come down

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