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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — to go on
  5. cold — not warm
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — for sport
  10. last — finally
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. last — final
  16. can — a tin
  17. court — of a king
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. fine — all right
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. court — of law
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cold — an illness
  24. can — a tin

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