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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spring — a coil
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bound — obliged
  6. present — there
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — part of the head
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — of water
  11. face — to confront
  12. branch — a division
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. spring — the season
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. present — the time now

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