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 116 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 · cell · leaves · saw · stick · bulb · patient · coach

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. saw — the tool
  15. cell — in biology
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. saw — the tool
  19. scale — in music
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cell — a phone
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bulb — for light

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