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 · wind · cue · wake · charge · cell · rash · mate

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. mate — a friend
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wind — moving air
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cell — a phone
  16. wind — moving air
  17. cue — for pool
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cue — a hint
  24. rash — a series

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