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 · wound · last · hand · sharp · saw · can · ball

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. last — finally
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. can — a tin
  8. ball — a dance
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hand — in cards
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. last — to go on
  16. ball — a great time
  17. sharp — clever
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. last — final
  24. hand — help

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