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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. can — a tin
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. game — wild animals
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. lean — to bend
  8. game — a match
  9. can — a tin
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — a list
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. lean — thin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — to be able to
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. game — a kind of play

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