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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. drill — a practice
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cell — in biology
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — the tool
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. drill — army training
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. lash — an eyelash

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