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: cue · patient · bass · wake · mine · net · spell · rash

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cue — a signal
  6. rash — a series
  7. bass — the fish
  8. wake — a trail
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. net — after costs
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. spell — magic
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. spell — letters
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. mine — for digging
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bass — low music
  24. cue — for pool

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