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: wound · patient · toast · chair · game · pitch · chip · rock

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. rock — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. game — wild animals
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — for betting
  10. toast — bread
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. rock — a stone
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. game — a match

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