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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cue — a hint
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rule — government
  11. shower — to wash
  12. tube — the underground
  13. rule — a law
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. saw — the tool
  18. net — in sport
  19. shower — rain
  20. tube — a container
  21. cue — for pool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. net — for catching

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