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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bass — the fish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — the season
  7. game — wild animals
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — a measure
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mark — a trace
  12. spring — of water
  13. game — a match
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bark — to shout
  24. foot — part of the body

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