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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. plane — a tool
  3. cold — an illness
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — a container
  6. craft — a skill
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chest — of your body
  10. craft — boats
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. foot — a measure
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cold — not warm
  18. tube — the underground
  19. chest — of your body
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. wind — moving air
  24. craft — a handicraft

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