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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. rash — a series
  5. wake — a trail
  6. net — after costs
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. net — in sport
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — of law
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. court — for sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. net — for catching
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — a container
  24. rash — hasty

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