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 120 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: spring · bay · perch · leaves · bat · land · tube · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. spring — a coil
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. land — ground
  14. bat — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. tube — the underground
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — of water
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. tube — a container
  23. spring — the season
  24. bat — in an idiom

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