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: object · spell · pit · pound · patient · chair · fan · roll

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. roll — a cake
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. pound — a weight
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. spell — letters
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. object — to protest
  11. roll — a list
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pit — a hole
  15. object — a thing
  16. spell — a short time
  17. spell — magic
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. object — an aim

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