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: deal · wound · patient · ground · mark · mine · can · march

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. wound — an injury
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. can — a tin
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mark — a trace
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a grade
  13. ground — crushed
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. march — the month
  17. can — to be able to
  18. march — music
  19. can — a tin
  20. mine — for digging
  21. ground — a position
  22. march — the month
  23. ground — the earth
  24. patient — a sick person

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