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 120 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: chip · last · patient · ball · dip · bark · rest · shower

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rest — what's left
  4. ball — a great time
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. last — finally
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. last — to go on
  9. shower — rain
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. shower — to wash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. chip — to eat
  20. rest — a break
  21. last — final
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bark — to shout

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