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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. game — wild animals
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. bear — the animal
  6. game — a match
  7. band — a ring
  8. rash — a series
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — the underground
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. bear — the animal
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. band — a music group
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. tube — a container
  24. lie — to recline

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