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: staff · kid · wound · patient · nail · mark · cell · drill

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. staff — employees
  3. drill — army training
  4. cell — in biology
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. staff — employees
  7. mark — a grade
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. drill — a practice
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. staff — a stick
  12. wound — an injury
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. kid — to tease
  20. kid — child
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. cell — a phone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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