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: chip · squash · bound · rush · patient · staff · spring · pass

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. staff — employees
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — a permit
  6. spring — of water
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. bound — obliged
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spring — the season
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bound — tied together
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rush — hurry
  19. squash — the sport
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. staff — employees
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. squash — to crush

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