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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. last — to go on
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. club — a group
  10. last — final
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. hand — help
  14. club — for golf
  15. suit — clothes
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. last — finally
  20. root — the cause
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. suit — in cards
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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