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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — to confront
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. wound — an injury
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. wound — an injury
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cell — in biology
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bore — to drill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. cell — a phone
  19. row — a line
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. row — to paddle

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