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: board · prune · mine · object · cabinet · patient · lie · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lie — to recline
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. land — to come down
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. object — an aim
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. land — a country

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