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: kid · ruler · band · sharp · rash · fall · patient · pitcher

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  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. sharp — exactly
  2. band — a ring
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — to tease
  5. band — a music group
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. sharp — clever
  16. kid — child
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — a series
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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