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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pop — soda
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. object — a thing
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. prune — to trim
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. pop — music
  16. object — an aim
  17. pound — a weight
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pop — to visit

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