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: snap · tube · wound · patient · sharp · stand · charge · saw

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. charge — a price
  4. sharp — clever
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. saw — the tool
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. charge — in control
  11. charge — electricity
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. stand — to bear
  18. saw — the tool
  19. wound — an injury
  20. tube — a container
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. tube — the underground
  24. wound — an injury

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