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: present · hand · pass · patient · arm · march · bank · snap

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. march — music
  4. bank — for money
  5. snap — to click
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — of a river
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. present — a gift
  11. march — the month
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hand — help
  14. pass — a permit
  15. march — the month
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. present — the time now
  19. bank — for money
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. present — there
  24. pass — to spend time

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