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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. band — a music group
  10. march — music
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — a law
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. march — the month
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. band — a ring
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rush — hurry
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. march — the month
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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