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: tear · jam · saw · patient · fine · rash · cabinet · wake

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. rash — a series
  6. fine — high quality
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fine — all right
  19. tear — from crying
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — a trail
  24. rash — on the skin

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