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: mouse · mine · patient · racket · land · bark · safe · rash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rash — a series
  12. mine — for digging
  13. rash — hasty
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bark — to shout
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. land — a country
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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