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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mate — to breed
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mate — a friend
  9. band — a ring
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a music group
  14. mate — a partner
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. fork — in a road

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