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: net · present · patient · wake · saw · cap · face · rash

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. cap — a lid
  3. face — part of the head
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rash — a series
  7. saw — the tool
  8. net — for catching
  9. face — to point toward
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. net — after costs
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. net — in sport
  18. present — there
  19. cap — a hat
  20. present — the time now
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. present — a gift
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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