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: patient · rash · board · roll · ruler · perch · chest · bass

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. board — to get on
  3. rash — a series
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chest — a box
  8. board — a committee
  9. perch — the fish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rash — hasty
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bass — the fish
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. roll — a list
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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