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 120 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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. march — the month
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. row — to paddle
  9. row — a line
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. march — the month
  12. bore — to drill
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bore — to tire
  18. march — music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. craft — boats
  24. patient — a sick person

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