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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bulb — for light
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. staff — employees
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. bound — certain
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. rash — a series
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bound — tied together

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