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: swing · kick · patient · cabinet · fork · bound · rock · net

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — music
  6. net — in sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. bound — tied together
  9. net — after costs
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rock — a stone
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. net — for catching
  14. bound — obliged
  15. kick — in football
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bound — certain
  18. swing — music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. swing — to play on
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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