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: calf · fan · squash · land · season · club · patient · rule

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. land — a country
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — to crush
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. club — for golf
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — a group
  13. season — in sport
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. club — for dancing
  19. season — of the year
  20. rule — a law
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fan — to cool the air

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