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 · saw · swing · object · net · bowl · track · arm

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. swing — to play on
  7. track — to keep track
  8. net — after costs
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. object — a thing
  12. swing — music
  13. track — a song
  14. net — in sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. object — to protest
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. net — for catching
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. track — a path
  23. object — an aim
  24. swing — in golf

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