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: prune · chair · racket · rash · bank · bear · patient · snap

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bank — for money
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. chair — a leader
  9. snap — to click
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bear — the animal
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. prune — to trim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bank — for money
  22. rash — a series
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. prune — to trim

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