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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — for sport
  3. firm — a company
  4. field — farmland
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. firm — steady
  7. shower — rain
  8. rest — what's left
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. key — the most important part
  14. rest — a break
  15. key — in music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pass — a permit
  19. field — a subject
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. firm — decided
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rest — what's left

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