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: patient · current · lie · hand · fine · season · rest · pound

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. season — in sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rest — a break
  8. current — of water
  9. fine — all right
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. lie — to recline
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. season — of the year
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. hand — help
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. hand — in cards
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. lie — an untruth

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