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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. season — in sport
  5. craft — boats
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. season — of the year
  10. tube — the underground
  11. hand — in cards
  12. craft — a skill
  13. kid — child
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. hand — help
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. tube — a container
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — to tease
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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