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: mouse · stick · tube · cell · patient · rash · coach · mine

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. tube — the underground
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rash — a series
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. cell — in biology
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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