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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. cue — a signal
  4. face — to confront
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cold — an illness
  7. face — to point toward
  8. tear — from crying
  9. cue — for pool
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cold — not warm
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. cue — a hint
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tear — to rip
  20. face — part of the head
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. cold — the Cold War

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