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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. spring — the season
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. firm — steady
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. firm — a company
  9. spring — of water
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cold — an illness
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rock — a stone
  16. cold — not warm
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. rock — music
  19. spring — a coil
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. foot — a measure
  24. fan — to cool the air

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