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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. wound — an injury
  3. game — a match
  4. bound — tied together
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. game — wild animals
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. hand — help
  11. mark — a trace
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rest — a break
  14. mark — a grade
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bound — certain
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — part of the body

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