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: fine · deal · patient · trunk · squash · game · drill · wake

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. fine — all right
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. drill — the tool
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — high quality
  8. game — a match
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — wild animals
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. drill — army training
  14. deal — to handle
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. wake — a trail
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. drill — a practice
  22. squash — the sport
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. fine — a penalty

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