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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. land — a country
  4. hand — in cards
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. last — finally
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. hand — help
  14. last — to go on
  15. board — to get on
  16. ball — a great time
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bass — low music
  20. board — a committee
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. last — final
  23. bass — the fish
  24. hand — part of the body

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