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: cold · patient · wound · chip · bore · rash · suit · press

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. press — a publisher
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — to push
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. press — newspapers
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. suit — to fit
  16. cold — an illness
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. chip — for betting
  20. cold — not warm
  21. rash — hasty
  22. rash — a series
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bore — gave birth

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