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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — after costs
  8. stand — to bear
  9. net — in sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. net — for catching
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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