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: sharp · date · racket · game · fall · patient · rock · foot

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. rock — music
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rock — a stone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. foot — a measure
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. game — a match
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. fall — the season
  24. game — wild animals

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