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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. court — of law
  3. track — a song
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — for betting
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to tire
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — for sport
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — in cards
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. can — a tin
  19. court — of a king
  20. can — to be able to
  21. hand — help
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chip — to eat

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