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: dip · bound · capital · wake · patient · kid · race · mouse

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bound — obliged
  6. race — a contest
  7. kid — child
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bound — certain
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. race — humankind
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. wake — a trail
  17. race — the arms race
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. capital — money
  22. bound — tied together
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to sink

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