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 120 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — the earth
  4. kid — child
  5. net — for catching
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. staff — employees
  8. ground — crushed
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. ground — a position
  12. net — in sport
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. stem — to come from
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — employees
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. kid — to tease
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. staff — a stick
  24. scale — size or range

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