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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. prune — to trim
  9. key — in music
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. key — the most important part
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. rule — a law
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. date — the fruit
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rule — government
  24. swing — in golf

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