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: patient · can · perch · pass · pitch · game · drill · field

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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 match
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. drill — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. pass — a permit
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — the fish
  17. drill — army training
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. field — farmland
  20. can — to be able to
  21. drill — a practice
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — completely

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