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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · wake · wind · capital · patient · cell

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cell — a phone
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wake — a trail
  16. capital — money
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. capital — a city

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