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: net · march · object · hand · lie · ground · face · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. net — after costs
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — the earth
  9. face — to confront
  10. ground — crushed
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. march — the month
  13. face — part of the head
  14. hand — in cards
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. ground — a position
  17. net — in sport
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. march — music
  20. net — for catching
  21. object — a thing
  22. hand — help
  23. face — to point toward
  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