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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. field — for sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — to rob
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. file — a tool
  13. field — a subject
  14. mug — a face
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. file — a line of people
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. field — farmland
  21. mug — a cup
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — government

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