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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · toast · game · court · fine · can

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. can — a tin
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. court — of law
  6. fine — all right
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. toast — bread
  9. can — to be able to
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. can — a tin
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fine — high quality
  17. game — a match
  18. fine — a penalty

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