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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. spring — of water
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — help
  9. foot — a measure
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spring — the season
  17. fork — in a road
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spring — a coil
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. fork — a garden tool

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