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: squash · ground · track · swing · nail · patient · drill · season

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. track — a song
  3. ground — the earth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ground — crushed
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. track — to keep track
  10. drill — a practice
  11. squash — the sport
  12. swing — music
  13. track — a path
  14. squash — to crush
  15. drill — army training
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. swing — in golf
  21. ground — a position
  22. swing — to play on
  23. drill — the tool
  24. patient — a sick person

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