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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. snap — to click
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bass — low music
  8. mate — a partner
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. mate — to breed
  11. hand — help
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. mate — a friend
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. season — in sport
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hand — in cards
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. season — of the year
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bass — the fish

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