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 124 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. race — humankind
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — certain
  15. race — a contest
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — the arms race
  18. land — a country
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. land — to come down
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. field — for sport
  24. bound — obliged

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