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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. object — a thing
  5. chip — for betting
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ground — a position
  8. rush — hurry
  9. object — to protest
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bank — for money
  23. chip — to eat
  24. object — an aim

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