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 120 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: patient · rest · vault · drill · rash · clip · ball · cue

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cue — a hint
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — for pool
  5. clip — to cut
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — army training
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cue — a signal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — hasty
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. ball — a dance
  18. clip — a video
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ball — a great time
  21. clip — for paper
  22. rest — a break
  23. drill — the tool
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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