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: club · patient · ruler · season · pit · cabinet

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. season — of the year
  3. pit — in a race
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — in sport
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — a group
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. club — for dancing
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pit — a hole

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