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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. roll — a cake
  5. cue — a signal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. spring — the season
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. sharp — clever
  11. spring — of water
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. chest — of your body
  15. roll — a list
  16. chest — a box
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. spring — a coil
  24. cue — for pool

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