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: season · bound · content · board · trunk · patient · bat · roll

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. bound — tied together
  6. content — happy
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. board — a committee
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. board — to get on
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. season — in sport
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. bound — obliged
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bat — the animal
  21. roll — a list
  22. content — the amount
  23. season — of the year
  24. trunk — of a car

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