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: spring · foot · bulb · sharp · game · patient · roll · bore

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bore — to tire
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — a measure
  7. roll — a list
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — the season
  10. bulb — for light
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. game — wild animals
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. sharp — clever
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bore — to drill
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. spring — of water
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. spring — a coil
  22. game — a match
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. roll — on a roll

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