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 · net · shower · cap · patient · rock · board · cell

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. net — for catching
  3. cap — of ice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rock — music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. cell — a phone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rock — a stone
  13. scale — in music
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. cap — a hat
  18. scale — size or range
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. board — to get on
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. net — after costs
  23. shower — rain
  24. net — in sport

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