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: rush · mark · coach · patient · chest · clip · lean · content

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lean — to bend
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. mark — a trace
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. clip — to cut
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. chest — of your body
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mark — a grade
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chest — a box
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. clip — a video
  22. content — happy
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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