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: patient · tear · mine · rash · lean · foot · hand · tube

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. lean — thin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. tube — a container
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. foot — a measure
  19. hand — help
  20. tear — from crying
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. hand — in cards
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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