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: band · patient · wound · wave · lie · dip · bowl · fork

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. band — a ring
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. wound — an injury
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. band — a music group
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fork — in a road
  23. dip — to sink
  24. band — a rubber band

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