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 116 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: file · craft · drill · stem · patient · bound · mine · bowl

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bound — certain
  4. bound — obliged
  5. drill — a practice
  6. stem — to come from
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mine — for digging
  9. file — a tool
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. drill — the tool
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. craft — boats
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. file — a document
  21. craft — a skill
  22. bound — tied together
  23. drill — army training
  24. patient — a sick person

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