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 116 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. content — the amount
  5. mark — a trace
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. net — after costs
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. mark — a grade
  10. court — of law
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. content — happy
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. net — for catching
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. court — for sport
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — of a king
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. patient — a sick person

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