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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. land — ground
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bulb — for light
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. march — the month
  21. march — the month
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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