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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. spring — the season
  3. mate — to breed
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. spring — a coil
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. deal — to handle
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — the time now
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. game — wild animals
  14. present — a gift
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. spring — of water
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bark — to shout
  20. present — there
  21. game — a match
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. safe — out of danger

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