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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a partner
  5. firm — a company
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. firm — decided
  9. mate — a friend
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. firm — steady
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kid — to tease
  21. fall — the season
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. kid — child

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