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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. cap — of ice
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. object — to protest
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — an aim
  9. season — of the year
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cap — a hat
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ground — a position
  18. ground — the earth
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. object — a thing
  21. season — in sport
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ground — crushed

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