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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cell — a phone
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — magic
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. pass — a permit
  9. march — music
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. can — to be able to
  15. spell — letters
  16. can — a tin
  17. spell — a short time
  18. can — a tin
  19. bore — to drill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — the month
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. march — the month

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