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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. field — for sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. field — a subject
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — a face
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. wake — a trail
  13. band — a music group
  14. field — farmland
  15. season — of the year
  16. band — a ring
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mug — a cup
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. tube — a container
  21. season — in sport
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — the underground
  24. band — a rubber band

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