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: rock · stand · staff · patient · chest · wound · squash · cap

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. chest — of your body
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cap — a hat
  6. chest — a box
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. rock — a stone
  9. squash — the sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. rock — music
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chest — of your body
  16. staff — employees
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. staff — employees
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. staff — a stick
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rock — to move gently

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