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: scale · spring · wind · pass · spell · patient · vault · bowl

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. scale — in music
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. vault — a safe
  6. spell — letters
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pass — a permit
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. spring — of water
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — magic
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pass — to spend time

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