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: bark · kid · tube · vault · mate · patient · hand · bear

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. hand — help
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hand — in cards
  9. kid — to tease
  10. vault — a safe
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. mate — a partner
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. mate — a friend
  17. tube — a container
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. mate — to breed
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kid — child

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