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: saw · coach · foot · patient · ground · perch · drill · fall

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. drill — army training
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fall — the season
  6. ground — crushed
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. drill — a practice
  10. foot — a measure
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. perch — the fish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. drill — the tool
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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