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: lean · stem · bound · tube · patient · mug · rush · rule

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bound — certain
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. rule — a law
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — thin
  8. stem — to come from
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — government
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. tube — the underground
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. tube — a container
  19. bound — tied together
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. bound — obliged
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rule — to rule out

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