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: root · can · patient · plane · drill · hand · cold · lie

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. root — of a word
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lie — to recline
  8. root — of a plant
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. can — a tin
  12. drill — a practice
  13. cold — not warm
  14. hand — in cards
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. drill — the tool
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. plane — a tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. drill — army training
  23. root — the cause
  24. hand — help

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