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: ball · bowl · mug · season · chest · safe · patient · clip

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a dance
  5. season — in sport
  6. clip — a video
  7. mug — a cup
  8. ball — a great time
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — a box
  11. clip — to cut
  12. clip — for paper
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chest — of your body
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. chest — of your body
  17. mug — a face
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mug — to rob
  22. season — of the year
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bowl — a dish

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