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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — for dancing
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. club — a group
  7. cold — not warm
  8. net — for catching
  9. plane — a tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. charge — a price
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. net — after costs
  14. stand — to bear
  15. net — in sport
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. cold — an illness
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. plane — an aircraft

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