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: last · chip · cap · wound · tear · coach · fall · patient

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. chip — to eat
  5. cap — a hat
  6. last — final
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tear — to rip
  11. fall — to drop
  12. tear — from crying
  13. wound — an injury
  14. last — to go on
  15. chip — for betting
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. tear — from crying
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. last — finally
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chip — in a computer

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