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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. row — a line
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. spell — letters
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. cue — a hint
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cue — for pool
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spell — magic
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. saw — the tool
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. spell — a short time

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