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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — after costs
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. net — for catching
  8. can — a tin
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cold — not warm
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bank — of a river
  16. can — to be able to
  17. net — in sport
  18. club — a group
  19. bank — for money
  20. cold — an illness
  21. bank — for money
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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