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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. season — in sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bass — low music
  7. toast — bread
  8. season — of the year
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pound — a weight
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. ball — a great time
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bass — the fish
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. net — for catching

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