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: field · safe · lean · bound · dip · snap · spell · patient

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. spell — magic
  5. field — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — tied together
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — a subject
  10. bound — certain
  11. lean — to bend
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. bound — obliged
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. spell — a short time
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. field — farmland
  21. spell — letters
  22. dip — to sink
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. lean — thin

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