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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. spell — magic
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. craft — a skill
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. spell — a short time
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rule — government
  13. stock — shares
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — a law
  16. craft — boats
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. spring — of water
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. spring — the season
  24. stock — goods

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