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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. shower — to wash
  5. file — a line of people
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pass — a permit
  8. present — there
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. tube — the underground
  14. shower — rain
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — a gift
  18. file — a document
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. tube — a container
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — the time now
  23. file — a tool
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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