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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. court — of law
  6. hand — in cards
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. court — of a king
  14. shower — rain
  15. can — to be able to
  16. court — for sport
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. can — a tin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. shower — to wash

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