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: saw · toast · jam · pass · calf · patient · pitcher · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. toast — bread
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pass — a permit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hide — animal skin

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