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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a line of people
  5. staff — a stick
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. bank — of a river
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. court — of a king
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. file — a tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. foot — a measure
  18. squash — the sport
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bank — for money
  22. squash — to crush
  23. staff — employees
  24. file — a document

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