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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a ring
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. kid — to tease
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. craft — a skill
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. spring — of water
  19. band — a music group
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kid — child
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rule — government
  24. racket — a loud noise

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