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: spell · ruler · bat · net · coach · fork · patient · saw

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. spell — magic
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — in sport
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. spell — letters
  24. fork — in a road

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