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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cold — an illness
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. hand — in cards
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — in sport
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. cold — not warm
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bound — certain
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fine — high quality
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — help
  24. season — of the year

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