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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. prune — to trim
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. field — a subject
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. branch — a division
  14. hand — in cards
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. field — farmland
  19. prune — to trim
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. patient — a sick person

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