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 · face · track · dip · kid · key · present · spring

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. face — part of the head
  3. kid — to tease
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spring — the season
  6. track — a path
  7. kid — child
  8. present — there
  9. track — to keep track
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — in music
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — a gift
  17. spring — of water
  18. dip — to sink
  19. key — the most important part
  20. face — to confront
  21. track — a song
  22. key — for a lock
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — the time now

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