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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — for sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. suit — to fit
  5. field — farmland
  6. squash — to crush
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. squash — the sport
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bulb — for light
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. field — a subject
  23. mine — for digging
  24. squash — the vegetable

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