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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. net — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. rock — a stone
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. net — for catching
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. content — happy
  16. race — humankind
  17. rash — a series
  18. content — the amount
  19. race — a contest
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. race — the arms race
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. rash — hasty
  24. net — after costs

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