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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cold — not warm
  4. present — a gift
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bear — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. cold — an illness
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. capital — a city
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. capital — money
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. row — a line
  18. present — the time now
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. capital — a big letter

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