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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. file — a document
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. mine — for digging
  13. clip — to cut
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. bore — to drill
  17. file — a tool
  18. clip — for paper
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. net — in sport
  21. clip — a video
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bore — to tire
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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