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 · pitcher · mine · bass · deal · suit · rule · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. bass — low music
  4. mine — for digging
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. rule — a law
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. rule — government
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — in cards
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. suit — clothes
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rule — to rule out

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