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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rush — hurry
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for dancing
  11. season — of the year
  12. field — farmland
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. field — a subject
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for golf
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. field — for sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. cell — a phone

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