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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — a phone
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. content — the amount
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. cell — in biology
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. content — happy
  24. row — a line

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