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: pop · file · game · foot · patient · rash · prune · cold

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. prune — to trim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a line of people
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. file — a document
  7. prune — to trim
  8. game — a match
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. file — a tool
  12. pop — to visit
  13. cold — an illness
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pop — soda
  17. game — wild animals
  18. rash — a series
  19. pop — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. rash — hasty
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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