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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — a country
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. ground — the earth
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. march — music
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. spell — magic
  15. land — ground
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — letters
  18. march — the month
  19. land — to come down
  20. ground — crushed
  21. march — the month
  22. ground — a position
  23. face — part of the head
  24. face — to confront

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