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: last · racket · patient · rash · craft · wind · cell · shower

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. last — final
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. shower — rain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cell — in biology
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. last — to go on
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. craft — a skill
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — hasty
  20. wind — moving air
  21. last — finally
  22. craft — boats
  23. cell — a phone
  24. shower — to wash

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