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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. key — the most important part
  4. dip — to sink
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. key — in music
  10. net — in sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spring — a coil
  15. net — after costs
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — for catching
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fall — the season
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fall — to drop

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