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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. march — music
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mine — for digging
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — the month
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. suit — to fit
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hand — help
  13. bore — to drill
  14. hand — in cards
  15. rule — a law
  16. squash — the sport
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bore — to tire
  19. squash — to crush
  20. rule — government
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — clothes
  24. march — the month

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