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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rush — hurry
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. swing — to play on
  8. game — wild animals
  9. key — the most important part
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. game — a match
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. key — in music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. trunk — of a car

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