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: wind · lean · ruler · chip · patient · cold · tube · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. tube — a container
  5. cold — not warm
  6. dip — to sink
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. tube — the underground
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. chip — to eat
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cold — an illness
  22. lean — thin
  23. chip — for betting
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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