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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. fine — all right
  5. game — a match
  6. date — the fruit
  7. spell — letters
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. charge — a price
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. land — ground
  14. game — wild animals
  15. charge — electricity
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bank — of a river
  20. charge — in control
  21. land — a country
  22. bank — for money
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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