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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — to rip
  3. date — the fruit
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. face — part of the head
  6. track — to keep track
  7. face — to confront
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — in sport
  11. tear — from crying
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. tear — from crying
  15. track — a path
  16. season — of the year
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. face — to point toward
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. press — newspapers
  21. vault — a safe
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. track — a song

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