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: tear · wake · nail · patient · mate · rock · staff · scale

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — to breed
  5. scale — in music
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. tear — from crying
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. staff — employees
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rock — music
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mate — a friend
  19. scale — size or range
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. mate — a partner
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rock — a stone
  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