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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. cap — a lid
  14. cap — a hat
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bat — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. rest — a break
  23. wound — an injury
  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