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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. fall — to drop
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — a position
  11. roll — a cake
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ground — the earth
  14. roll — a list
  15. suit — in cards
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. ground — crushed
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — the season
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — the cause

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