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 120 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: field · kid · lie · foot · snap · can · wave · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. can — a tin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. field — for sport
  9. kid — to tease
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. can — to be able to
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. kid — child
  15. snap — to click
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. field — farmland
  18. lie — to recline
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. can — a tin
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. field — a subject
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. lie — an untruth

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