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: row · bound · file · mouse · patient · rash · object · club

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. object — to protest
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. club — for golf
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bound — tied together
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a line of people
  13. row — a line
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. row — to paddle
  16. object — an aim
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. club — a group
  19. rash — a series
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. rash — hasty
  24. file — a document

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