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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fork — in a road
  4. land — ground
  5. mate — a friend
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pop — music
  13. land — a country
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mate — a partner
  16. pop — soda
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. hand — help
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. hand — in cards

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