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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — to come down
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cue — a hint
  5. fork — in a road
  6. cue — a signal
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. swing — music
  9. swing — to play on
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. swing — in golf
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. land — a country
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. land — ground
  19. capital — a city
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. capital — money
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. cue — for pool

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