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: racket · bound · field · shower · mine · patient · fall · toast

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. shower — rain
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — to drop
  7. field — farmland
  8. bound — certain
  9. field — a subject
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — to wash
  12. toast — bread
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. field — for sport
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fall — the season
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. bound — tied together
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. bound — obliged

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