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 120 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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — all right
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. snap — to click
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. tube — a container
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. march — music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tube — the underground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. march — the month
  15. last — final
  16. march — the month
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. last — to go on
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. last — finally
  21. bass — the fish
  22. bass — low music
  23. fine — high quality
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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