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 stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. board — to get on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — for dancing
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. club — a group
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. club — for golf
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — a container
  12. game — a match
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. date — the fruit
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. board — a committee
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. game — wild animals
  24. board — a flat piece

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