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 120 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: firm · bat · perch · patient · cabinet · bear · band · foot

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. perch — the fish
  6. firm — a company
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. foot — a measure
  16. band — a ring
  17. firm — steady
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. firm — decided

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