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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rule — government
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. tube — a container
  10. field — farmland
  11. sharp — clever
  12. field — for sport
  13. tear — from crying
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rule — a law
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. field — a subject
  22. saw — the tool
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. rule — to rule out

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