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: safe · season · file · racket · ball · patient · press · fall

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a great time
  8. press — a publisher
  9. file — a document
  10. press — to push
  11. file — a line of people
  12. fall — the season
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fall — to drop
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a tool
  17. ball — a dance
  18. press — newspapers
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fall — to drop
  24. racket — a loud noise

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