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 116 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hand — in cards
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. spell — magic
  7. hand — help
  8. wound — an injury
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spell — a short time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. shower — to wash
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. shower — rain
  17. wound — an injury
  18. content — the amount
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spell — letters

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