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: bark · field · can · firm · ground · mouse · patient · content

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — crushed
  3. content — the amount
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. content — happy
  8. field — farmland
  9. can — to be able to
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ground — a position
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. field — for sport
  17. ground — the earth
  18. firm — decided
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. firm — steady
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. firm — a company
  24. field — a subject

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