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: spell · patient · staff · wound · deal · face · rock · cold

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — employees
  7. wound — an injury
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rock — music
  10. cold — an illness
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. rock — a stone
  13. face — to point toward
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cold — not warm
  16. staff — a stick
  17. face — part of the head
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spell — a short time
  20. spell — magic
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. face — to confront

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