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: suit · rule · clip · fan · toast · root · mine · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — to fit
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. toast — bread
  6. suit — clothes
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. clip — a video
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. root — the cause
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. root — of a plant
  21. mine — for digging
  22. root — of a word
  23. clip — to cut
  24. clip — for paper

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