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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. tube — the underground
  7. rock — music
  8. chest — of your body
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rock — a stone
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. swing — to play on
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. toast — bread
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. swing — music
  22. chest — a box
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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