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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — a signal
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bank — for money
  6. court — for sport
  7. season — in sport
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. cue — for pool
  10. season — of the year
  11. court — of a king
  12. lean — to bend
  13. scale — size or range
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. court — of law
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — in music
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bank — of a river
  22. mark — a grade
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. lean — thin

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