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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. shower — rain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bound — certain
  14. staff — a stick
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. can — a tin
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. can — a tin
  23. staff — employees
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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