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 · wind · rash · cue · jam · fan · mine · chip

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wind — moving air
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cue — a signal
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mine — for digging
  16. chip — to eat
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cue — a hint
  22. rash — a series
  23. cue — for pool
  24. wind — moving air

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