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: track · game · court · patient · perch · face · straw · leaves

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. court — of a king
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. court — of law
  9. track — a path
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. face — to point toward
  13. game — a match
  14. face — to confront
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. perch — the fish
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. face — part of the head
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. perch — for a bird

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