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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — hasty
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a partner
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. mate — a friend
  11. rash — a series
  12. last — finally
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mate — to breed
  15. last — final
  16. cell — in biology
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. cell — a phone
  23. last — to go on
  24. cell — in a prison

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