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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. row — to paddle
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. track — to keep track
  11. foot — a measure
  12. race — humankind
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. race — the arms race
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. row — a line
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. mine — for digging
  20. track — a path
  21. track — a song
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. race — a contest
  24. mine — belonging to me

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