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: bank · ball · patient · hand · deal · rest · court · safe

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. hand — help
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bank — for money
  6. hand — in cards
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. court — for sport
  11. bank — for money
  12. court — of law
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bank — of a river
  17. court — of a king
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. patient — a sick person

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