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: capital · wave · hand · face · rock · deal · patient · fork

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. rock — music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. capital — money
  6. face — part of the head
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rock — a stone
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — a city
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. hand — in cards
  20. face — to confront
  21. fork — in a road
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. face — to point toward
  24. deal — a big deal

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