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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. net — for catching
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. net — after costs
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. net — in sport
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — of water
  17. craft — boats
  18. craft — a skill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spring — the season
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bulb — for light

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