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: deal · roll · bank · hide · cold · patient · wake · mug

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bank — of a river
  5. cold — an illness
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — a cake
  12. mug — a face
  13. bank — for money
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mug — a cup
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cold — not warm
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. roll — a list

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