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 116 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: cell · safe · cold · squash · wave · charge · patient · spring

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — of water
  3. charge — a price
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. squash — to crush
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. spring — the season
  13. cold — an illness
  14. charge — electricity
  15. squash — the sport
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. cold — not warm
  20. cell — in biology
  21. cell — a phone
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. spring — a coil
  24. charge — in control

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