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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. rule — a law
  8. present — there
  9. rush — hurry
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rule — government
  20. plane — a tool
  21. wind — moving air
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. rush — to hurry

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