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 · craft · bass · bear · game · bark · court · scale

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bass — low music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. scale — size or range
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — for sport
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. scale — in music
  18. game — a match
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of law
  23. game — wild animals
  24. court — of a king

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