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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. land — to come down
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cap — a hat
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. root — of a word
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. land — ground
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — of ice
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. root — the cause
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. land — a country

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