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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. present — there
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. present — the time now
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. swing — music
  13. rash — hasty
  14. spell — letters
  15. squash — to crush
  16. pop — soda
  17. spell — magic
  18. squash — the sport
  19. present — a gift
  20. ball — a great time
  21. spell — a short time
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rash — a series
  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