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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cold — not warm
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — letters
  8. lean — thin
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. charge — in control
  12. cap — of ice
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cold — an illness
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fork — in a road
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cap — a hat
  22. charge — a price
  23. lean — to bend
  24. charge — electricity

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