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: shower · ground · stock · object · spell · bound · sharp · patient

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — tied together
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spell — magic
  6. bound — certain
  7. shower — rain
  8. spell — letters
  9. sharp — clever
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stock — goods
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — crushed
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — an aim
  18. shower — to wash
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — the earth
  22. object — to protest
  23. bound — obliged
  24. stock — shares

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