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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — the animal
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. file — a line of people
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. lie — to recline
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. bear — the animal
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a tool
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. leaves — of a tree

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