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: rash · patient · content · drill · shower · field · lie · craft

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. shower — rain
  3. field — farmland
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. content — the amount
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rash — hasty
  9. craft — boats
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rash — a series
  12. content — happy
  13. field — for sport
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. drill — army training
  21. field — a subject
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — a skill

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