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 116 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: bark · present · chair · lie · land · patient · shower · leaves

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. shower — rain
  5. lie — to recline
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. land — ground
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. chair — a leader
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — the time now
  16. land — a country
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. land — to come down
  19. present — there
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bark — to shout
  24. leaves — to go away

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