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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — goods
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. content — the amount
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. content — happy
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stock — shares
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. fine — high quality
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fine — all right
  19. hand — in cards
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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