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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. rule — government
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. file — a line of people
  7. spell — letters
  8. club — a group
  9. rule — a law
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wound — an injury
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spell — a short time
  14. file — a document
  15. file — a tool
  16. club — for golf
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. pitch — completely
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. spell — magic

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