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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — to rip
  3. key — the most important part
  4. bound — tied together
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — from crying
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — for sport
  9. bank — for money
  10. key — for a lock
  11. march — the month
  12. march — the month
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. field — farmland
  15. bank — of a river
  16. bound — certain
  17. march — music
  18. key — in music
  19. bank — for money
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. field — a subject
  24. wind — moving air

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