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: patient · game · suit · pitcher · chest · last · bear · season

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bear — the animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. bear — the animal
  6. last — finally
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. chest — of your body
  10. game — wild animals
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. suit — clothes
  14. last — final
  15. chest — of your body
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. game — a match
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. last — to go on
  22. chest — a box
  23. season — in sport
  24. bear — to put up with

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