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: nail · pitch · band · perch · net · racket · staff · patient

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. staff — employees
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. net — in sport
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — after costs
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. staff — a stick
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitch — completely
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. band — a music group
  21. staff — employees
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. perch — the fish
  24. racket — for tennis

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