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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. spring — a coil
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fork — in a road
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mug — a face
  8. spring — the season
  9. season — in sport
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wound — an injury
  13. season — of the year
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bound — certain
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. mug — to rob
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — tied together
  20. wound — an injury
  21. rush — hurry
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. spring — of water

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