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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  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. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. row — a line
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. tube — a container
  8. foot — a measure
  9. suit — in cards
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a great time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. tube — the underground
  15. suit — clothes
  16. suit — to fit
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. rule — a law
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rule — government
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. foot — the bottom
  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