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 120 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: chest · cue · branch · board · fan · march · patient · fall

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fall — to drop
  3. march — the month
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. march — music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. cue — for pool
  9. chest — of your body
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — the season
  13. cue — a signal
  14. board — to get on
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cue — a hint
  18. chest — of your body
  19. branch — a division
  20. board — a committee
  21. chest — a box
  22. march — the month
  23. fall — to drop
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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