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 120 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: ground · track · bass · chair · patient · snap · bank · court

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ground — the earth
  3. track — a path
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bass — low music
  7. bank — for money
  8. chair — a leader
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. track — a song
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ground — a position
  13. bank — for money
  14. court — for sport
  15. bank — of a river
  16. court — of a king
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. snap — to click
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. court — of law
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — the fish

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