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: sharp · fall · bass · content · patient · deal · court · tube

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tube — the underground
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. content — the amount
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. court — of a king
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — to handle
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — the fish
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. court — for sport
  17. tube — a container
  18. court — of law
  19. sharp — clever
  20. content — happy
  21. bass — low music
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fall — the season
  24. sharp — with an edge

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