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: field · drill · shower · pit · pass · bowl · racket · patient

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. shower — rain
  10. field — for sport
  11. pit — in a race
  12. field — a subject
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. field — farmland
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. drill — a practice
  19. drill — the tool
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pass — a permit
  23. drill — army training
  24. bowl — a football final

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