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: patient · cabinet · stick · scale · hand · racket · bulb · wind

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hand — in cards
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. wind — moving air
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hand — help
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — size or range
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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