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 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. board — to get on
  3. board — a committee
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. clip — to cut
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. clip — for paper
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. stock — shares
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stock — goods
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. clip — a video
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mouse — for a computer

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