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: patient · season · spring · chip · stock · mate · bank · mouse

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. spring — a coil
  10. bank — for money
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spring — the season
  15. mate — a partner
  16. spring — of water
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bank — of a river
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. chip — for betting
  21. chip — to eat
  22. season — of the year
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — goods

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