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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — the time now
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rule — a law
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. present — there
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. season — in sport
  14. rule — government
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — the month
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. march — music
  20. march — the month
  21. net — in sport
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. present — a gift
  24. season — of the year

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