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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. march — the month
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. march — the month
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — music
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a match
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. chair — a leader

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