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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pit — a hole
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. pit — in a race
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. last — to go on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. last — finally
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. last — final
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wind — to turn a key

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