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: content · foot · clip · board · lie · game · patient · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. shower — rain
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. content — happy
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. clip — to cut
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. clip — for paper
  15. board — to get on
  16. shower — to wash
  17. content — the amount
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. board — a committee
  23. foot — a measure
  24. clip — a video

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