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: track · patient · hide · deal · capital · bark · wind · stand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. stand — to bear
  6. track — to keep track
  7. track — a song
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. wind — moving air
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. track — a path
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a city
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. bark — of a tree

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