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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. clip — a video
  4. vault — a safe
  5. pit — in a race
  6. firm — a company
  7. clip — for paper
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. firm — decided
  10. pit — a hole
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. firm — steady
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. perch — the fish
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mine — for digging

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