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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. squash — the sport
  7. net — in sport
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. squash — to crush
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. rock — a stone
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. net — for catching
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. net — after costs
  24. ruler — a monarch

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