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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — a series
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. pop — music
  7. mate — a partner
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. shower — to wash
  11. scale — in music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — soda
  16. mate — a friend
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. pop — to visit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. scale — size or range

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