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: mine · pound · rush · fork · board · last · spell · patient

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. last — finally
  6. spell — letters
  7. last — final
  8. fork — in a road
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. pound — a weight
  11. board — to get on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. spell — magic
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. last — to go on
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. board — a committee
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. spell — a short time

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