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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cue — a hint
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — to recline
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. shower — to wash
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pop — music
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. file — a tool
  15. cue — a signal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pop — soda
  20. shower — rain
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. file — a document
  23. scale — size or range
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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