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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pass — a permit
  4. drill — the tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. chest — of your body
  7. track — a song
  8. cue — a hint
  9. court — of a king
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cue — a signal
  12. chest — of your body
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — for pool
  17. chest — a box
  18. net — after costs
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. court — of law
  21. drill — army training
  22. track — a path
  23. track — to keep track
  24. court — for sport

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