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: content · club · fine · bound · patient · chest · plane · date

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. content — happy
  3. fine — all right
  4. chest — a box
  5. bound — obliged
  6. club — for golf
  7. bound — tied together
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. chest — of your body
  13. content — the amount
  14. club — a group
  15. chest — of your body
  16. plane — a tool
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. club — for dancing
  19. date — the fruit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bound — certain
  23. content — videos and posts
  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