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: bore · craft · tube · patient · club · rush · game · fan

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. game — a match
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. club — for golf
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. craft — a skill
  9. bore — to drill
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bore — to tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. club — a group
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. game — wild animals
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. patient — a sick person

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