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: wave · patient · bulb · capital · charge · fall · rash · clip

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. charge — a price
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rash — hasty
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. clip — a video
  11. capital — money
  12. clip — to cut
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bulb — for light
  16. clip — for paper
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. charge — in control
  20. charge — electricity
  21. capital — a city
  22. fall — the season
  23. rash — a series
  24. wave — with your hand

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