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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. sharp — clever
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. firm — steady
  12. date — the fruit
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — decided
  18. fork — in a road
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. capital — a city
  21. firm — a company
  22. capital — money
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. capital — a big letter

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