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 116 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: bowl · fan · firm · patient · rock · racket · season · bat

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. firm — a company
  8. rock — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. firm — steady
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — in sport
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. firm — decided
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bat — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rock — a stone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — a football final

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