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: board · wound · patient · land · rest · squash · plane · race

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — what's left
  3. wound — an injury
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. race — humankind
  7. land — ground
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — to get on
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. race — the arms race
  13. squash — to crush
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. squash — the sport
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. race — a contest
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. land — to come down
  23. plane — a tool
  24. land — a country

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