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: game · roll · toast · stand · patient · bear · rock · trunk

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. bear — the animal
  9. game — a match
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — bread
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. game — wild animals
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — music
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. bear — the animal
  24. roll — a list

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