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

Word bank: branch · field · patient · staff · stick · hand · content · bowl

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. content — happy
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. branch — a division
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. staff — a stick
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. hand — help
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. staff — employees
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. content — the amount
  24. field — for sport

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