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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rule — government
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. object — a thing
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. date — the fruit
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cell — in biology
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. mark — a trace
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. toast — bread
  16. object — an aim
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. mark — a grade
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cell — a phone
  22. object — to protest
  23. rule — a law
  24. dip — to sink

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