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: object · date · cell · safe · dip · racket · patient · face

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. face — to point toward
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. object — to protest
  7. cell — a phone
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. date — the fruit
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. dip — to sink
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. object — a thing
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cell — in biology
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to confront
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. racket — a loud noise

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