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: coach · patient · cap · chest · face · mug · can · rule

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. mug — to rob
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. mug — a cup
  7. face — part of the head
  8. can — to be able to
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cap — a lid
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rule — government
  13. face — to confront
  14. chest — a box
  15. can — a tin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rule — a law
  18. face — to point toward
  19. can — a tin
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cap — of ice
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — a hat

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