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: lash · key · wake · kid · patient · bear · bass · field

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. field — for sport
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. key — in music
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — the most important part
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. field — farmland
  14. kid — to tease
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. key — for a lock
  20. field — a subject
  21. kid — child
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bass — low music

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