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 116 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. hand — in cards
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. file — a document
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. file — a line of people
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. capital — money
  15. track — a song
  16. capital — a city
  17. file — a tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. track — a path
  20. stand — to bear
  21. hand — help
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. stand — for spectators

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