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: face · stand · patient · sharp · jam · root · row · cell

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. sharp — clever
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. row — a line
  7. root — the cause
  8. face — part of the head
  9. root — of a plant
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. stand — to bear
  13. root — of a word
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cell — in biology
  17. face — to point toward
  18. row — to paddle
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. cell — a phone

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