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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. spring — the season
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bank — for money
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. field — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. bank — for money
  11. net — after costs
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. spring — a coil
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. field — a subject
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. leaves — lets stay

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