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: wound · bound · pit · patient · net · bay · cap · hand

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bound — tied together
  9. hand — in cards
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — for catching
  14. hand — help
  15. cap — a lid
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — certain
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. net — in sport
  24. cap — a hat

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