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 · cabinet · coach · sharp · stick · key · mug · fall

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — the most important part
  5. sharp — clever
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mug — a face
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. fall — the season
  11. key — in music
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mug — to rob
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — for a lock
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fall — to drop
  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