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 · hide · saw · arm · tube · net · bound · leaves

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. bound — obliged
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. tube — a container
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bound — tied together
  12. net — for catching
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. bound — certain
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. saw — the tool
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. tube — the underground
  23. net — in sport
  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