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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bank — of a river
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rule — government
  6. fall — the season
  7. saw — the tool
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. tear — to rip
  11. tear — from crying
  12. fall — to drop
  13. rash — a series
  14. bank — for money
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rule — a law
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bank — for money
  21. rash — hasty
  22. fall — to drop
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. fork — in a road

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