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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bulb — for light
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. race — a contest
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. suit — clothes
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cold — not warm
  9. bulb — for light
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. race — humankind
  13. suit — to fit
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. race — the arms race
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cold — an illness
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bat — the animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bat — for baseball

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