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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — to crush
  7. bore — to tire
  8. hand — in cards
  9. object — to protest
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. ground — crushed
  12. wind — moving air
  13. squash — the sport
  14. hand — help
  15. object — a thing
  16. ground — the earth
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. object — an aim
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — to drill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bore — gave birth

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