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: cap · ruler · key · perch · patient · field · arm · land

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. cap — a hat
  5. field — farmland
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. land — a country
  11. field — for sport
  12. cap — a lid
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. cap — of ice
  15. key — for a lock
  16. key — in music
  17. perch — the fish
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. key — the most important part
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. field — a subject
  23. land — to come down
  24. land — ground

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