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: bank · bound · mate · shower · patient · pit · kid · cue

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. shower — rain
  3. cue — a signal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — for money
  6. cue — for pool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bound — tied together
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bound — certain
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bank — for money
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. mate — to breed
  21. kid — child
  22. cue — a hint
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — obliged

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