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 · rash · cell · ground · mark · rock · band · snap

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — hasty
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rock — music
  6. mark — a grade
  7. band — a music group
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. snap — to click
  14. rash — a series
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. band — a ring
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ground — the earth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cell — a phone

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