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: wound · patient · perch · spring · bore · cue · bat · bass

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — a hint
  5. spring — a coil
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. spring — of water
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wound — an injury
  12. perch — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. wound — an injury
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. spring — the season
  19. bat — the animal
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. bass — low music
  24. bat — for baseball

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