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: rule · mouse · saw · season · field · patient · nail · tube

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rule — government
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. saw — the tool
  11. tube — a container
  12. field — a subject
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rule — a law
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — farmland
  23. field — for sport
  24. tube — the underground

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