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: staff · fall · face · hide · patient · land · cold · pound

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. cold — an illness
  3. staff — employees
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. fall — to drop
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cold — not warm
  9. face — to confront
  10. land — a country
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — the season
  14. staff — employees
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pound — a weight
  19. staff — a stick
  20. face — part of the head
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. land — ground
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fall — to drop

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