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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — to keep track
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bore — to drill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. cold — not warm
  8. track — a path
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bore — to tire
  14. track — a song
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bass — low music
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. game — a match
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a kind of play

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