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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. kid — child
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. scale — in music
  12. mine — for digging
  13. kid — to tease
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stem — to come from

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