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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. land — a country
  3. row — a line
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. net — for catching
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. rash — a series
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. land — ground
  16. staff — a stick
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. row — to paddle
  23. land — to come down
  24. net — after costs

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