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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. squash — to crush
  6. net — for catching
  7. land — a country
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. land — to come down
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — happy
  15. net — in sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — the sport
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. land — ground
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. plane — a tool

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