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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — for catching
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rest — what's left
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — a break
  9. net — after costs
  10. band — a ring
  11. object — a thing
  12. band — a music group
  13. season — of the year
  14. rest — what's left
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. saw — the tool
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — the tool
  21. object — an aim
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. net — in sport

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