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: pitch · present · saw · patient · court · deal · game · stem

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. present — a gift
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — there
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. present — the time now
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — of law
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. court — of a king
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — to come from
  23. game — wild animals
  24. deal — a big deal

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