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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. fine — all right
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mug — a cup
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. season — of the year
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. foot — a measure
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. file — a document
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — in sport
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. foot — part of the body

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