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: scale · patient · bound · pound · spring · jam · game · spell

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. scale — size or range
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. game — wild animals
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. spell — letters
  9. scale — in music
  10. spring — a coil
  11. game — a match
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. spell — magic
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bound — tied together
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bound — certain
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bound — obliged
  22. spring — of water
  23. spell — a short time
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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