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: patient · net · bound · wave · charge · dip · pit · fork

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bound — certain
  5. net — after costs
  6. charge — electricity
  7. net — for catching
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. charge — in control
  12. fork — in a road
  13. charge — a price
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. pit — in a race
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pit — a hole
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. bound — tied together
  24. patient — a sick person

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