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 · pass · land · club · hide · spell · field · bass

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spell — letters
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. club — a group
  8. spell — a short time
  9. field — for sport
  10. land — ground
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. club — for dancing
  13. field — farmland
  14. bass — the fish
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. spell — magic
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. field — a subject
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — a permit
  23. club — for golf
  24. bass — low music

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