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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rush — hurry
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bass — low music
  11. mine — for digging
  12. foot — a measure
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. cue — a signal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bass — the fish
  24. patient — a sick person

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