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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ball — a great time
  8. drill — army training
  9. mark — a grade
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. staff — employees
  13. mark — a trace
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. ball — a dance
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. dip — to sink
  21. saw — the tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — a sauce

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