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 120 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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cell — a phone
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. season — in sport
  6. bound — certain
  7. cell — in biology
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. board — to get on
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — of the year
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. board — a committee
  15. bound — obliged
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. key — in music
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bound — tied together
  24. patient — a sick person

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