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: patient · fine · mug · shower · track · saw · face · spell

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. face — part of the head
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. saw — the tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. spell — magic
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. track — a path
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. face — to point toward
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mug — a face
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. face — to confront
  19. spell — letters
  20. fine — all right
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. spell — a short time

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