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 · rest · deal · racket · bat · ruler · kick · sharp

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. sharp — clever
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kick — in football
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kick — with a leg

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