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: fork · mine · patient · pop · present · board · kick · bass

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. board — a committee
  3. kick — in football
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fork — in a road
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. bass — the fish
  12. present — a gift
  13. bass — low music
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. present — the time now
  18. pop — music
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. pop — soda
  21. board — to get on
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. present — there
  24. patient — a sick person

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