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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. mark — a trace
  5. field — farmland
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mark — a grade
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. wound — an injury
  12. press — to push
  13. field — for sport
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. hand — help
  17. field — a subject
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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