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: tube · cabinet · land · lean · mine · charge · patient · scale

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lean — to bend
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. land — a country
  10. charge — electricity
  11. mine — for digging
  12. charge — in control
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. scale — in music
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. charge — a price
  24. lean — thin

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