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 116 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: last · track · capital · coach · mate · race · hide · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. track — a song
  5. last — to go on
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. last — final
  9. track — to keep track
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — humankind
  13. mate — a partner
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mate — to breed
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. capital — money
  22. track — a path
  23. mate — a friend
  24. last — finally

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