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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chair — a leader
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a partner
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — a position
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — a friend
  14. dip — to sink
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. date — the fruit
  23. mate — to breed
  24. chair — to sit on

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