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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bound — certain
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. roll — a list
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. roll — a cake
  10. squash — the sport
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — obliged
  14. drill — army training
  15. spring — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spring — a coil
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bound — tied together
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — all right
  24. fan — to cool the air

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