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: ball · patient · branch · face · staff · chest · row · mouse

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. ball — a dance
  3. chest — of your body
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. staff — employees
  9. ball — a great time
  10. staff — employees
  11. face — to point toward
  12. row — a line
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. staff — a stick
  19. face — part of the head
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. chest — a box
  23. branch — a division
  24. branch — of a tree

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