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: fall · cabinet · pitcher · suit · patient · deal · cold · land

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. land — to come down
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fall — the season
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. deal — to handle
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cold — not warm
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cold — an illness
  19. suit — clothes
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cabinet — ministers

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