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 120 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 · bank · scale · rush · bass · cell · patient · kid

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. cell — in biology
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bank — for money
  8. kid — to tease
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. scale — size or range
  12. bank — of a river
  13. scale — in music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. kid — child
  22. bass — low music
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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