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 116 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. row — to paddle
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. net — for catching
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fork — in a road
  19. net — after costs
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. row — a line
  23. net — in sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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