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: bass · scale · kick · tube · patient · rush · swing · season

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — a container
  5. swing — in golf
  6. scale — in music
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. swing — music
  10. bass — the fish
  11. season — in sport
  12. swing — to play on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — of the year
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. tube — the underground
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. kick — in football
  23. bass — low music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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