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: patient · pit · fork · lash · band · saw · pound · shower

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pit — in a race
  4. band — a ring
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. shower — rain
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. band — a music group
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — a hole
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pound — a weight
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. fork — in a road
  24. band — a rubber band

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