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 · perch · bay · bear · pit · nail · hand · can

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — a tin
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pit — a hole
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. perch — the fish
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. can — to be able to

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