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: wound · kid · perch · bay · pound · patient · lean · net

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. wound — an injury
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. pound — a weight
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. net — for catching
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. perch — the fish
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. lean — to bend
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. net — in sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. lean — thin
  20. kid — child
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. wound — an injury

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