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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. last — to go on
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — final
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. court — for sport
  9. bore — to drill
  10. wound — an injury
  11. court — of law
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. mark — a grade
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. last — finally
  18. bore — to tire
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. court — of a king
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wound — an injury

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