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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — farmland
  5. mug — to rob
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. content — happy
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — a stick
  13. march — music
  14. field — for sport
  15. staff — employees
  16. field — a subject
  17. mug — a cup
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. mug — a face
  20. rock — a stone
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — the amount
  23. rock — music
  24. branch — a division

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