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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitch — completely
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. object — a thing
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. net — after costs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — to protest
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. net — in sport
  24. object — an aim

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