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: face · drill · hand · patient · cap · stand · saw · suit

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. cap — a lid
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. saw — the tool
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. drill — a practice
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cap — of ice
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hand — help
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. face — to point toward

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