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 116 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. ground — crushed
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cue — a signal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cue — a hint
  7. tear — from crying
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cue — for pool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ground — the earth
  17. tear — to rip
  18. fork — in a road
  19. pit — in a race
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ball — a dance
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — a hole
  24. tear — from crying

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