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: date · racket · rash · patient · bass · rule · toast · arm

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bass — low music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. bass — the fish
  12. toast — bread
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. date — the fruit
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — a series
  21. rule — a law
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. rule — government
  24. rash — on the skin

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