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: lean · fan · bear · land · patient · race · squash · prune

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. race — humankind
  7. prune — to trim
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. land — to come down
  10. prune — to trim
  11. squash — to crush
  12. land — ground
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. race — a contest
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. bear — the animal
  24. race — the arms race

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