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 116 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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. land — ground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. field — for sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. land — to come down
  9. net — for catching
  10. swing — music
  11. perch — the fish
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. swing — in golf
  14. net — after costs
  15. field — a subject
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. swing — to play on
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — in cards
  21. net — in sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. patient — a sick person

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