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: cabinet · patient · march · leaves · band · wound · safe · rock

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a ring
  11. march — the month
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. band — a music group
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — an injury
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rock — music
  24. march — the month

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