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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. land — to come down
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. rest — a break
  7. land — a country
  8. wound — an injury
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fall — to drop
  11. scale — in music
  12. land — ground
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — the season
  16. bank — for money
  17. fall — to drop
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — size or range
  20. prune — to trim
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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