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 116 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: club · spring · row · patient · content · bulb · pitch · last

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. content — happy
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. club — a group
  8. spring — a coil
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. spring — the season
  11. content — the amount
  12. row — a line
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bulb — for light
  15. last — final
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. spring — of water
  22. last — finally
  23. club — for golf
  24. last — to go on

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