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: stand · patient · foot · wave · club · spring · game · drill

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spring — of water
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. club — for golf
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. drill — a practice
  8. spring — a coil
  9. foot — a measure
  10. drill — the tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spring — the season
  13. game — a match
  14. club — a group
  15. stand — to bear
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. club — for dancing
  18. game — wild animals
  19. drill — army training
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. stand — on your feet

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