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: object · pass · face · wound · patient · fine · hand · club

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. wound — an injury
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. hand — help
  11. wound — an injury
  12. club — for dancing
  13. pass — a permit
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. object — an aim
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. face — part of the head
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. hand — in cards
  22. club — for golf
  23. object — to protest
  24. club — a group

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