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: race · land · spring · bound · nail · patient · cue · press

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. cue — for pool
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. press — a publisher
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. race — the arms race
  10. cue — a signal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. land — ground
  15. spring — the season
  16. spring — a coil
  17. press — to push
  18. spring — of water
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. race — a contest
  21. race — humankind
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bound — obliged
  24. press — newspapers

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