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: lean · game · bowl · patient · pitch · face · stem · cold

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. game — a match
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — wild animals
  6. cold — an illness
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to confront
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lean — thin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stem — to come from
  19. lean — to bend
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. cold — not warm
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. stem — of a plant

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