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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — a match
  4. lean — thin
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. season — of the year
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ground — a position
  10. bat — the animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. game — wild animals
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bound — certain
  15. ground — the earth
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — in sport
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bound — tied together
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — army training
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bound — obliged
  24. lean — to rest against

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