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: spring · game · safe · bark · bay · patient · tube · stick

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. game — a match
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spring — of water
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bark — to shout
  14. tube — a container
  15. game — wild animals
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. safe — a strongbox

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