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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. present — the time now
  9. rest — a break
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. present — there
  12. rest — what's left
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — to paddle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pass — a permit
  20. present — a gift
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. row — a line
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rest — what's left

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