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: can · fall · file · patient · hide · swing · bowl · sharp

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — to play on
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. file — a document
  11. swing — in golf
  12. file — a line of people
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. can — a tin
  18. file — a tool
  19. can — a tin
  20. fall — the season
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. swing — music

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