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 120 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: patient · object · saw · shower · root · field · arm · suit

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. shower — rain
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. field — for sport
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. object — a thing
  7. root — of a word
  8. object — to protest
  9. field — a subject
  10. saw — the tool
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. suit — clothes
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. shower — to wash
  16. suit — in cards
  17. root — of a plant
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. saw — the tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. field — farmland
  23. suit — to fit
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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