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: track · patient · chest · wind · land · pit · pound · calf

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. chest — a box
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pound — a weight
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. land — a country
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. track — a song
  23. pit — in a race
  24. track — a path

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