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 116 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 · key · pitcher · bark · leaves · lean · wave · patient

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. lean — thin
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pitcher — a jug

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