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: leaves · mate · ruler · patient · cold · rest · cell · saw

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mate — a partner
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cold — not warm
  7. rest — a break
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. mate — a friend
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mate — to breed
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. ruler — for measuring

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