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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. game — a match
  6. scale — size or range
  7. sharp — clever
  8. game — wild animals
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. scale — in music
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ball — a great time
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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