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: perch · bat · tube · bear · bay · patient · trunk · fine

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — the underground
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. bat — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — a container
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bear — the animal
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. perch — for a bird

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