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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. tube — the underground
  3. object — a thing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. last — finally
  7. bear — the animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. last — to go on
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. tube — a container
  15. last — final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bear — the animal
  18. object — an aim
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. ground — crushed
  22. row — a line
  23. object — to protest
  24. row — to paddle

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