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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. capital — money
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — a tin
  8. capital — a city
  9. march — music
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. rest — what's left
  12. last — to go on
  13. march — the month
  14. rest — what's left
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. can — a tin
  17. wake — a trail
  18. can — to be able to
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. rest — a break
  22. kid — to tease
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. march — the month

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